SSA Para Futures Camp

Disabled athletes attended an SSA Para Futures camp in Perisher in mid-August, where they were introduced to the more competitive side of snow through negotiating gates within the racecourse.

Australia has always fared well at the Paralympics and the governing body schedules camps where skiers and snowboarders can attend to see what it may be like to race more competitively, with the goal of enticing athletes to continue on with further coaching to reach higher levels.

Paralympic competition accommodates male and female athletes with a physical impairment such as spinal cord or nerve damage, cerebral palsy, limb loss or deficiency and vision impairments. Athletes compete in three categories based on their functional ability and a times factoring system allows athletes with different impairments to compete against each other.

National coach Christian Geiger said the camp was a really successful couple of days, where athletes were allocated some drills with their free skiing and later were classified for national competition.

“In the evening we had an information night about para sports and pathway in the future and today we did some timing and skills assessment,” said Geiger.

There were a mix of athletes as well as mentors, with Tori Pendergast who was Australia’s first female sit skier Paralympian in Sochi, Simon Patmore and Joany Badenhorst, Paralympian snowboarders.

They helped the eight athletes with different disabilities, ranging from cerebral palsy, visually impaired, three sit skiers and two snowboarders.

Jesse Rutherford, a sit skier who had only spent a total of 18 days on snow said he had been giving so many tips to help him improve his sit skiing through the gates.

“You’ve got to be confident and trust yourself,” he said.

“Had a lot of fun, learnt a lot very quick, but yeah sucked a little bit less each run.”

This program will bring an end to the 2016 SSA Futures roadshow - our most successful programs to date. The future is looking bright for Australian Snowsports.