Skiing

[gnat]

Hi, newly diagnosed 3 weeks ago, but strongly suspected MND for 5 months prior. Arm weakness started over 2 years ago and looking back hand weakness and balancing issues were clear in June 2020 when I started a new job and found it a bit difficult to put on eye make up and balance putting on tights, neither of which I had been doing for quite a while. I'm losing strength in my legs and getting a bit achy after walks, but I can still walk about 10km with some hills. I've lost some strength for cycling. I am keen to ski in August (in New Zealand) and hopefully Japan in January. I know I'll be weaker so expect I won't be able to manage the harder runs and will probably need help getting up if I fall, but I would appreciate any advice others have. Hoping for slow progression but who knows.

 

[swalker]

I am an avid skier, so much so that about 25 years ago we moved to a ski area in the mountains of Colorado.

By the time I was diagnosed, it was obvious that I was no longer able to ski on my own. I discovered that my local ski area has a wonderful adaptive ski program. I joined up with them and have been skiing in a biski since then.

A biski is a sit ski mounted to 2 skis. It is articulated so that I can initiate turns. Unfortunately, I don't have enough body control to be able to get the skis sideways on the slope in a hockey stop, so I am not able to "ski" on my own.

Instead, I go up with 2 adaptive instructors. One of them is tethered to the biski and acts as my brake. We have agreed on a set of hand signals I can still do that allow me to communicate with the instructor so he/she knows my intentions.

The other instructor skis along with us to help keep folks from getting too close and then helps load me on the lift.

It has been tremendous fun and very rewarding.

Skiing wears me out. I have discovered that I can only do 6 full runs in a day and then I need at least 1 week and preferably 2 weeks to recover before the next outing.

There is nothing like zipping down a beautiful ski run with my wife and friends with the wind in my face.

Here is a link to a video of a run we did from the top of the mountain to the bottom.



Steve

 

[Oxymoron]

Love this! I too was an avid skier and snowboarder before ALS.

 

[gnat]

Thanks. Looks great.