SINCE paralysis one of the things I miss most is the feeling of snow below my feet.
I love the freedom of skiing in back country mountains in the Scottish highlands.
I missed it so much I get mixed emotions even watching the sport, however our winter athletes are making it hard not to watch.
After Dave Ryding bounced back after not skiing to his best at the Olympics with another podium on the World Cup, Charlie Raposo delivered the best result for a British skier in the Giant Slalom in 54 years.
This clearly boosted his confidence after the disappointment of not getting selected for the Olympics, as the next day Raposo skied himself into 16th place to add to his 27th place the day before in a double header World Cup in Slovenia.
Seeing the Alpine guys rip it up with the best skiers is something that fills me with so much joy.
If I close my eyes I can almost feel what it was like to ski again.
In sports psychology it’s common practice as a psychological framework to have athletes use close their eyes and use imagery.
Sir Chris Hoy speaks of his winning Olympic kilo in Athens and how he used imagery in the months leading up to that race.
However what if you don’t have sight at all?
Visually impaired athletes I have always thought must be incredible at using imagery.
In cycling it’s easier as you sit on the back of a tandem.
Skiing, on the other hand, with no sight is a whole other game.
Able bodied Skiers have long used imagery as part of a warm up.
But how does a blind skier use this and navigate themselves down the same slopes as their Olympic counterparts.
As the able body racers returned to the slopes of Europe, the Paralympic skiers took to the slopes in Beijing to get their campaign under way.
It was not long until the medals were coming in thick and fast.
In Paralympic skiing we have had our best results in the Visually impaired events and in Beijing there would be more records set and history made.
From the lecht slopes to Beijing, two brothers from Scotland delivered Britain’s first ever gold medal in skiing for men in the visually impaired men’s Super G.
For the non skiers this is one of the fastest events on snow, and the sole objective is to get to the bottom of a hill as fast as you can.
Remember some of these athletes are completely blind.
So, I guess if you’re going to ski down a speed course with no to limited sight then the best person to guide you down is someone you trust like your brother.
Watching Neil Simpson ski in Beijing guided by his brother Andrew was truly remarkable.
Guiding his brother’s skis, approximately ten meters ahead Andrew communicates through radio to Neil on when to turn.
This has to be clear and done with an absolute hundred percent trust.
Try waking along the pavement with your eyes closed with a friend giving you directions.
That will give you an idea of how special these athletes are.
Unfortunately in Jamaica coverage was not shown, highlighting the work that is still needed to bring Paralympic sport more into the mainstream.
With limited internet I managed to see a few events and was proud to see GB not just turn up but to again mix it with some of the best athletes in the world.
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