Classification 2.0 - It's Landgraaf Again!

I recently made the journey to Landgraaf in The Netherlands once again, this time to be re-classified and to compete in the first slalom races of the season, I also took part in my first ever Europa Cup race.

I wrote two years ago about the classification experience, but this time round it was a little bit different due to the nature of my disability now (I have HSP which is progressive and I have deteriorated significantly over the last few years). Last time I was still able to move my legs and walk so the session mostly paid attention to my leg function, but this time, after the basic reflex and spasticity measurements in my legs the focus shifted towards my arms and core. The classifiers realised pretty quickly that I have no sitting balance due to lack of trunk muscle use, by my attempts to sit up unsupported and by feeling my body as I carried out certain tasks to try and detect muscle activation (at one point they thought they had found an ab - this turned out to be my baclofen pump!). I also had the strength and coordination in my arms extensively tested. Then it was on to the wobble board test - this was very short lived as it instantly became apparent that I wouldn’t be able to make any of the movements they were looking for.

The result of my classification was that I am now in the LW10.1 class, this is for athletes with the most severe disabilities who have no leg or core function, who rely entirely on their shoulders and arms alone to ski. This was a bit of a surprise to me as it was quite a leap from the LW12.1 I had been racing under for the past two years. (I had gone from the second least disabled class to the most disabled class.)

After a day of training it was time for the races, the first of which did not exactly go to plan. The conditions on the course were not very good, providing a combination of sheet ice surrounded by big mounds of snow, and due to this, I ended up falling half way down the first run. As I turned the tail of my ski got caught in one of the snow banks, whipping me over, unfortunately I landed in a bad position, so I was unable to get myself up, putting me out of this race. This failure actually turned out to be quite helpful though, as it meant I could watch the rest of the race (which had some of the world’s best skiers competing in it), paying particular attention to those with the same classification as me, so I could watch their technique and try to implement it in my own skiing.

The next WPAS (World Para-Alpine Skiing) race was much more successful. The courses had been set slightly differently to account for the icy patches, making the conditions much more conducive to racing. Knowing the state of the course I made the decision to ski relatively cautiously, this worked well, allowing me to get through both runs 1 and 2 without any drama. Run 3 turned out a bit differently. It was all going pretty smoothly until just two gates from the finish; I skidded on some ice and fell. The few seconds it took for me to get back up may have been some of the tensest seconds in my life, but I managed to finish the race in a respectable 4^th place. (And after looking at the results we realised that if I hadn’t have fallen I could have taken 3^rd place!)

The next day was supposed to be my first Europa Cup slalom race, however, with the previous days being so busy, and my condition itself causing quite severe fatigue, I was left absolutely exhausted. After struggling to keep myself awake during the course inspection, I decided to pull out of the race and dedicate the remainder of the day to resting prior to the final race. This turned out to be a great decision as although I was still pretty tired the following day, I could at least get my arms to do what my brain was telling them. I actually managed to ski the first two runs pretty well, with faster times than the previous days, but once again run 3 was my downfall. I managed to topple over half way down, and just didn’t have the energy left to push myself back up. Although slightly disappointing, it wasn’t too bad, as I knew I had skied well leading up to the fall.

I came home from this trip having achieved the goals I set out to. Namely getting my new classification and finishing my first race of the season, now I just have to see what the rest of the season has in store for me.