The sport of adaptive skiing has advanced dramatically in recent years, really opening up this exciting and incredibly liberating pursuit to be fully enjoyed by people with physical disabilities or visual impairments. The result – whether it’s based on a more traditional skiing setup involving standing bi-skis, duals-skis or monoski, a snowboard, or a seated ski bike – is typically a fast and furious thrill ride over some form of dramatic, snow-packed terrain. What’s not to love?

The advancement of adaptive skiing as a leading disability sport really began in Europe in the wake of WWII, when the importance and value of participation in sports activities was more fully realised.

Returning soldiers who’d been injured in conflict were quick to sign up for newly available programmes, with the initial focus being on recently developed technologies and equipment aimed primarily at 3-track adaptive skiing (a single ski and two supporting arm crutches or ‘outriggers’) for amputees. From here, things quickly snowballed – pun fully intended – and in 1967 a group of Vietnam veterans founded Disabled Sports USA from what had originally been the National Amputee Skiers Association.

From early prototype outriggers through to the rapid development in the mid-1980s of advanced adaptive ski setups like the mono-ski and bi-ski, the technology supported an ever-expanding network of community-based programmes and competitions that ultimately became recognised as a full Paralympic category in 1992. Today, a number of the most famous resorts for adaptive skiing experiences are located around the USA, in a variety of suitably epic locations such as Whistler Blackcomb, Colorado’s Winter Park, and the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming.

Over here in the UK, the British Parasnowsport Team is the British national Para-alpine skiing and Para-snowboard team – it’s the racing arm of Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK), recognised as the UK National Governing Body for disabled snowsports by the British Paralympic Association (BPA) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). As well as providing the Elite and Development Teams of athletes who train and compete on our nation’s behalf at the Paralympic Games, DSUK also make it their ongoing mission to ensure anyone with a disability, may it be learning, sensory or physical, can ski or snowboard alongside other people.

For those looking to try out the sport a little closer to home, that means there are always plenty of opportunities right on our doorstep. Whether it’s two-track, three-track or four-track skiing (referring to the number of points of contact with the snow), mono-skiing, bi-skiing, snowboarding or guide-led runs for skiers with visual impairments, there’s now a phenomenal range of activity on offer in Scotland for beginners and more experienced downhillers alike. Check out the online guide and glossary at the Snowsport Scotland website, or the guide to disability snowsports equipment at Ski Club Great Britain, for more information on the different types of adaptive skiing setups available.

Year-round adaptive skiing opportunities are always on offer at Snow Factor, the indoor slope complex at Soar Intu Braehead just outside Glasgow city centre. Disability Snowsport UK offer a range of lessons at the venue, starting from the DSUK office opposite the main Snow Factor reception desk. Skiers can phone 08455219338 or email lessons@disabilitysnowsport.org.uk for booking places, and all necessary equipment will be available either for hire or as part of the included lesson plan when you arrive (there’s also a hoist available if required for seated skiers, with participants just asked to provide their own Oxford sling). For those in the highlands, there’s a similar arrangement on offer during the winter months at the Cairngorm Mountain Ski School in the heart of stunning Inverness-shire.

And, if you’re interested in adaptive skiing opportunities further afield, this handy resource (developed by Vouchercloud in collaboration with the Back Up trust) offers a rundown of the various location, innovations and not-for-profit organisations supporting ongoing development of the sport in the USA.

Four Scottish Para athletes will be heading to London in July to compete at the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships at the London Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 14-23 July.

The 49 strong squad was announced by British Athletics this week, including 21 medallists from the 2016 Rio Paralympic Games. The names of the four Scots selected are Jo Butterfield, Maria Lyle, Stef Reid and Sammi Kinghorn.
Jo, Maria and Stef were all medal winners at the Rio Paralympic Games last summer and Sammi recently set a 28.67 seconds 200m T53 World Record at Mesa, Arizona, knocking a remarkable 0.26 seconds off the record set by US racer Jessica Galli five years ago.

Unfortunately, double Rio gold medallist Libby Clegg‘s hopes of competing this summer were ended when she sustained a calf injury earlier this week and will not recover in time for July.

There is no marathon event at the World Para Athletic Championships but Fife’s Derek Rae raced at the IPC World Marathon Cup at the London Marathon in April and won bronze medal in his class.

The four Scots face a busy schedule in London with the quartet entered for no fewer than 10 events between them.
Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat/Shona Malcolm) will compete in the F51 club throw and discus, Maria Lyle (Ryan Freckleton) in the T35 100m, 200m and relay, Stef Reid (Aston Moore) goes in the T44 Long Jump whilst Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin) will race over T53 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m.

British Athletics Team for the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 taking place between 14-23 July 2017:

Kare Adenegan (Job King) – T34 100m, 400m and 800m
Hollie Arnold (David Parker) – F46 Javelin
Graeme Ballard (Trevor Painter) – T36 100m and 200m
Martina Barber (Paddy O’Shea) – T20 Long Jump
Paul Blake (Rob Ellchuk) – T36 100m, 200m and 400m
Dan Bramall (Peter Wyman) – T33 100m
Olivia Breen (Aston Moore) – T38 Long Jump, 100m and 4x100m relay
Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Paul Harrison) – T44 High Jump
Mickey Bushell (Jenny Archer) – T53 100m
Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat / Shona Malcolm) – F51 Club Throw and Discus
Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks) – T54 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m
Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks) – T34 100m, 400m and 800m
Kadeena Cox (Brian Scobie) – T38 100m, 200m, 400m and 4x100m relay
Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones) – F42 Shot Put and Discus
Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes) – F41 Shot Put
Sabrina Fortune (Antony Hughes / Ian Robinson) – F20 Shot Put
Toby Gold (Jenni Banks) – T33 100m
Dan Greaves (John Godina) – F44 Discus
Kylie Grimes (Phil Peat) – F51 Club Throw
Sophie Hahn (Joe McDonnell) – T38 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay
James Hamilton (Mark Kirk) – T20 800m and 1500m
David Henson (Roger Keller) – T42 100m and 200m
Georgie Hermitage (Paul McGregor) – T37 100m, 400m and 4x100m relay
Jordan Howe (Christian Malcolm) – T35 100m
Abbie Hunnisett (Anthony Hughes / Mark Hunnisett) – F32 Club Throw
Jade Jones (Ian Thompson / Tanni Grey-Thompson) – T54 800m, 1500m and 5000m
Rhys Jones (Christian Malcolm) – T37 100m
Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk) – T44 100m
Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin) – T53 100m, 200m, 400m and 800m
Maria Lyle (Ryan Freckleton) – T35 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay
Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins) – T54 200m, 400m and 800m
Polly Maton (Colin Baross) – T47 100m and Long Jump
Stephen Miller (Ros Miller) – F32 Club Throw
Stephen Morris (James Thie) – T20 800m, 1500m and 5000m
Jonnie Peacock (Dan Pfaff / Mike Khmel) – T44 100m
Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood) – F32 Club Throw
Stefanie Reid (Aston Moore) – T44 Long Jump
Ben Rowlings (Job King) – T34 400m and 800m
Sam Ruddock (Jim Edwards) – F35 Shot Put
Zac Shaw (Joe McDonnell) – T12 100m and 200m
Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller) – T42 Long Jump
Zak Skinner (David Hull) – T13 100m and Long Jump
Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins) – T33 100m
Laura Sugar (Femi Akinsanya) – T44 100m and 200m
Carly Tait (Jenni Banks) – T34 100m, 400m and 800m
Kieran Tscherniawsky (Jim Edwards) – F33 Shot Put
Isaac Towers (Peter Wyman) – T34 400m and 800m
Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan) – F34 Shot Put
Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine) – T42 100m and 200m

Scottish Disability Sport Young Persons Sport Panel is now in its second year.

The panel is made up of 12 young people representing 9 of the 13 SDS member branches. The panel have had 6 meetings to date including media training with Commonwealth Games Scotland and have attended many SDS National Events to volunteer.

Recently, the panel have joined up with the sportscotland young persons sport panel where the group have discussed various inclusion topics, participated in Disability Inclusion Training and decided some future projects as a panel.

The panel members are: Alan Gray, Hope Gordon, Colette Martin, Lewis McConnell, Stefan Hoggan, Mitchell Graham, Caitlyn Ross, Callum Sloan, Gemma Lumsdaine, Shelby Watson, Ross Foley, and Danielle Joyce.

Scottish Disability Sport would like to welcome the new office bearers in Grampian Disability Sport, South Lanarkshire Disability Sport and Glasgow Disability Sport branches.

Grampian Disability Sport appointed a new Chairperson, Len Ironside, in December 2016 after long serving Chair Pauline Stirling stood down. Len is doing a great job as Chair so far and we are delighted that Pauline is still an active member of the Grampian Disability Sport committee.

In March, South Lanarkshire Disability Sport welcomed new Chairperson Forbes Dunlop and Vice Chairperson David Condie. The previous Chairperson Millar Stoddard will also remain an active member of the committee after many years in the role.

Glasgow Disability Sport also elected four new committee members to their branch at their AGM in May and welcomed Talia Alexander, Jamie Moses, Julie Cuzens and James Hemingsley to the committee.

Huge thanks must go to both Pauline Stirling in Grampian and Millar Stoddart in South Lanarkshire for all their hard work, support, and dedication over many years.

All the new members bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to all three branches and Scottish Disability Sport look forward to working with you all.

Scotland had para bowls teams in the B2/B3 Mixed Pairs and B6/B7/B8 Open Triple at the 8 Nations and Para Sport Event at Broadbeach Bowls Club from 3 – 7 June 2016.  The event, which contributes to Commonwealth Games qualification, was vital in our preparations as it allowed ten of our leading players to compete against the best players in the world on the fast Australian surfaces.

Scotland had two teams in both the pairs and triples but one team from each was nominated to score the points, whilst the other competed in the round robin in non-scoring matches.  The importance of having two teams in the event cannot be underestimated as it allowed a wider pool of players to experience the conditions, whilst also competing for individual places in the Commonwealth Games team that will eventually be announced in November.

Following four intense days of training the coaches and selectors eventually settled on the teams that would compete and which of these would earn the points in the competition.

Visually Impaired Mixed Pair

Irene Edgar and director, David Thomas were selected to lead, whilst Robert Barr and director, Sarah Jane Ewing were selected to skip the B2/B3 Mixed Pair in the event.  This was the team that would collect the points for the nation.  In the other team, Maria Spencer and Billy Edgar were directed by Ron McArthur and Christine Morrow respectively.  The second team performed extremely well, winning three matches, which was matched by our first team.  When our two teams went head-to-head, it finished 18 – 11 in favour of Scotland one.

Scotland secured a second place finish in the group and a chance to play Australia Gold in the final.  Both players and directors were confident heading into the match, which they eventually lost 22 – 10 but it was a tighter match than the score suggests.  A silver medal is a great result in these conditions and finishing behind the Australia pair, who will go into next year’s Games as heavy favourites, is no mean feat.

The players, directors and coaches learned a lot from the two matches against their Australia counterparts, which will stand us in good stead heading into the Gold Coast Games in April next year.

Physically Disabled Open Triple

Barbara McMillan (Lead), Garry Brown (Second) and Mike Nicoll (Skip) were selected to play in the first Scotland team, whilst Billy Allan (Lead), John Wardrope (Second) and Michael Simpson (Skip) were named in the second team.  Prior to the competition the players were getting to grips with the conditions and the coaching staff were confident in the bowlers.  As it turned out the first team only managed to win one of their matches (against England) leaving Scotland to finish fifth, and outside the medal matches, but ahead of Malaysia who propped up the table.  Incidentally, our second team responded to the disappointment of missing out by performing excellently, winning four out of five matches.  Ironically, when our two teams went head-to-head in the competition, our first team ran out 18 – 8 victors!  Although there was clear frustrations with our finishing position, the coaching staff has learned a lot and the competition amongst players couldn’t be healthier.

The players head for a two day training camp at Musgrave Hill Bowling Club prior to returning Home on Sunday 11 June.

Scottish Disability Sport Performance Manager, Gary Fraser said:

“Overall the competition was an excellent experience and great preparation ahead of the Commonwealth Games next year.  We were fortunate to be able to enter two teams into the event, across both disciplines, which helps us enormously.  All the players had a chance to travel and play these conditions, which is unlike anything that can be found in Scotland.  We are obviously delighted with the performance of the B2/B3 Mixed Pair and the directors, and to deliver a silver medal is pleasing.  It was a mixed bag for the B6/B7/B8 Open Triple but we have learned a huge amount.  We head into a training camp on Thursday and Friday and we aim to make the most of our time playing on these greens, and refine things further.”