Teaching disabled skiers on Turoa

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 12, 13 August 1985, Page 9

Teaching disabled skiers on Turoa

T uroa 's new ski instructor for the disabled, Phillipa Hutchison, conducted her first classes for disabled skiers last weekend. Phillipa recently came from Auckland to Ohakune, to teach adults and children with a wide range of disabilities. Prior to coming to Ohakune, Phillipa worked at the Auckland Crippled Children Society where she learnt a lot about dealing with disabilities. Last weekend, Phillipa instructed a group of five disabled skiers from Auckland as well as ten helpers. There was one paraplegic who could walk with the aid of crutches. "He had skied before he became a paraplegic, so found it difficult relearning," says Phillipa. She says those who have skied before becoming disabled have different expectations to those who haven't skied before. "They expect to ski as they used to, so have to re-adjust."

The helpers in the group were taught by Phillipa how to teach the disabled to ski. They were blind-folded and skied on one leg with outriggers to experience the feeling of being disabled. These helpers will probably return with another group of disabled later in the season. Many of those requiring tuition have never skied

before, but most belong to the Disabled Skiers Association which receives support and discounted rates from Turoa Skifields. This is the third year in which the Disabled Skiers Association has employed its own full-time instructor at Turoa last year it was Michelle Laing. Although Whakapapa has not been used a lot for disabled ski instruction in the past Phillipa says she is hoping to teach there more often this season. To help the disabled to ski aids such as out-riggers are used which allow most people with disabilities to ski. Disabilities include partial sight and deafness, total deafness, blindness, cerebral palsy, amputees, spinabifida and paraplegics. Phillipa has many bookings for individuals and groups of disabled skiers for the season, but she is still looking for more.

"There's still a lot of people who haven't heard about this teaching programme who would like to ski," she says. Phillipa is also looking for other helpers to aid the skiers. She likes to have one helper for every disabled skier. This week, Phillipa is teaching a group of deaf children from Wellington.