Landgraaf: Classification and More

What was perhaps the most important trip for me was the one I went on next, to an indoor ski slope in Landgraaf, Holland, this was where I was to get classified, to enable me to compete. This was another great experience for me; despite the funny looks I got from people at home when I told them I was skiing in Holland.

Pretty much as soon as I arrived at the centre, I was whisked away for classification, a bizarre situation in which people suddenly desire to become more disabled. The purpose of this is to both confirm that you do have a disability, and to determine to what extent the disability affects you, placing people into categories of others with similar levels of disability, to enable a fair race. For me this involved being observed walking with my frame, and then having the spasticity and range of motion in my legs assessed. The only thing I found unusual in this assessment was what happened next, I had be strapped to a wooden board with rockers on the base, (to simulate sitting in a monoski) to test my trunk strength and balance.

After this I was sent out of the room, whilst the classifiers discussed the appropriate classification for me, before being called in and given the decision. I was classified as LW12.1, which means I have some use of my legs and trunk, but that the strength and control of these is affected by my disability. Then came a surprise, the classifiers had to admit that their system of classification is tailored towards people with paralysis (which I do not have), not problems with spasticity and muscle control, and they were not sure of the extent to which I could use my hips to assist my skiing. They wanted to watch me ski. In a race.

This I was not expecting. I had not had any race training, I did not have the appropriate safety clothing to ski into slalom gates, I didn’t even have my own skis yet - I skied the slalom race one a 163cm GS ski, not the 155cm slalom ski that would have helped me. Due to my lack of preparation, I was entered in the youth race, for people under 17 years old, rather than the full IPCAS race, so this race did not affect points. Nevertheless, I did the race. Under strict instructions to just finish the race, I skied the course rather slowly, for in practise I had not managed to complete the course without crashing or losing control and missing gates. Somehow I managed to make it down the course the two times that were required without being disqualified. When it came to the prize giving ceremony it became apparent that despite me skiing rather slowly, I had actually done quite well, and I won the silver medal! This was rather unexpected for someone who was only coming to Landgraaf for classification (and meant I had been lying to all the people I told that I wasn’t racing) and I was very pleased with myself.

This was a very successful venture for me, as I came home with my classification, a silver medal in my first ever race, and the knowledge of what I needed to work on to improve my racing skills (work on using the edges of my ski, and skiing into gates to take a more direct route round the course).