Paralympics Cross-country Skiing. Amazing Athletes do it all

Paralympics cross-country skiing at Whistler will beposition on the sit-ski. These skiers are unable to
fantastic. How will the skiers prepare and race? Heremove out of the parallel tracks and the skier propels
is what it is all about.the sit-ski along with the specially adapted poles.
Paralympics Cross-country Skiing will be taking placeIn Sun Valley Idaho the Sun Valley Adaptive Sports
at the Whistler Olympic Park located just south ofhold a recruitment camp each year for athletes who
Whistler in the spectacular Callaghan Valley. Individualsexcel in other sports. Here they are taught how to
and teams are beginning to visit the park to becomecross country ski on a sit ski sledge. One of the
familiar with the facilities and get the layout of thecoaches is Paralympic Silver Medalist Bob Balk who
land.also claims the title to the National Champion Nordic
For instance, the 2007 USA long distance championSit-skier.
Monica Bascio and silver medalist Bob Balk and GregStaff Sgt. Erik Avla was the first serviceman to be
Mallory, all sit-ski athletes recently (Aug. 2008) paid awounded in the Iraq invasion and he has found new
visit.hope at the Sun Valley facility. The director of Sun
“I absolutely love it up here. I am so thankful thatValley Adaptive Sports , Marc Mast met Erik and he
I am able to see the trails two years before thesoon had Erik up on the slopes with outrigger skis
competition,” said Bascio.and gave him a few days of instruction.
The skiers stated the course offers excellent terrainErik stated “Your balance soon begins to come
for sit-ski competition. It will be very fast.back to you, the more you ski, the quicker it comes
Kreamelmeyer said after checking the course thatback. I couldn’t believe that only nine months
the terrain was very good and deceivingly difficult.after my injury I was skiing again.”
As with all of the paralympic winter sports, athletesWheels can be attached to the sit-ski so that dry
compete against athletes with similar disabilities andland and gymnasium training can be carried out.
are placed in different categories.Paralympics cross-country skiing is a sport where
Those with visual impairment ski with a guide who willupper body training is a must. A rigorous training
direct with the voice. Standing skiers will use theprogram is required because all of the propulsion is
same type of ski equipment as skiers withoutdone only with the shoulder and arm muscles. The
disabilities. Those who have no use of their legs willcompetitions are held over short, middle and long
compete using the sit-ski sledge. These sledges havedistances. From 2.5 to 20 kilometers. The racers start
skis attached to the bottom as runners.30 seconds apart.
Two techniquesThe International Paralympic Committee makes use
There are two techniques used in cross-countryof the Nordic Percentage System which is a
skiing. Free style and Classic. Free style skiing is donehandicapping system for each category. That
on the section of track without groomed tracks inhandicap time is added to the skiers time. The winner
the snow. The skier uses a skating motion, pushingis the one with the lowest calculated time.
off with the edge of the skis. This method allows theIn the relay races, each team skier skies one leg of
skier to make good time on the course and isthe circuit. The teams are made up from different
generally about 8% faster over a distance than thecategories that are balanced out so that each team
classic method. The skis used are shorter thanis even starting out. This eliminates time calculations.
classical.The first team across the finish line is the winner.
Classical technique skiing is done from the sitting