Swiss & British Champs Part II

We Arrived in Tignes. We stayed in an amazing apartment right at the bottom of the valley, this wasn’t ideal but due to the time of year, it had to do. It did mean we had a much higher quality apartment than we normally do. On-site pool, Jacuzzi and Sauna…which did have its benefits :) 

Tignes is quite a self-indulgent resort for myself, I have skied there a number of different times over the past couple of years and it is very satisfying to ski there. It provides a visual benefit on how much I have improved.

We had a few days free skiing, working on the fundamentals and our overall goals.  At this point, Tignes had become overrun with English people. There were a number of different races over the week, which meant there was always something interesting to watch.  

Training went well, I felt like I was getting a higher hip position and was able to influence the ski more. The pool and Jacuzzi definitely helped with this…

On the Thursday, I received a phone call from Andy Barlow saying he had just broken one of his outriggers, he had been racing in the French National champs and was just about to head to Tignes. He was going to need the borrowed outrigger back. The first race was on Saturday. I began to panic.  I rang up Tessier, which is the company in France that supply adaptive equipment. They said that the quickest delivery time is 2 days once the order has been made.  I explained the situation and they said the only other option would be to pick up the part myself (a two hour drive.)  I said I would call back once I had spoken to the coaches.  We finished the training session and just as I was packing my stuff up, my phone rang. It was Tessier again. They explained they had a client that was visiting La Rosiere (just round the corner) and would be willing to drop it off for me. MEGA !! I jumped at the opportunity. The gentlemen dropped it off a couple of hours later, free of charge and my payment hadn’t even cleared yet. Amazing Service!! I couldn’t believe my luck. I was back in business.

Saturday brought the start of the slalom. We were racing with the women’s able bodied. There was some fantastic skiers there and it was great to be skiing alongside them.  As the day started it was very much an us and them situation, but as the day went on, we all began to bond and really became a team. We all cheered each other and wanted everyone to do well.

It was the first time adaptive skiers have raced alongside able bodied. We were the first to go down.  I had been having problems with the bar on my skis that day that keep the skis tips apart. The extra movement I am getting from the chiropractor has changed my body that much that I need to look at new ways of doing things.

I dropped onto the course but just as I dropped in, my skis crossed due to my bar and I ended up sliding, missing the first gate…BUGGER. I put my outriggers into crutch mode and started to hike back up. John Clark one of the coaches shouted to me to “Push Alex” the next moment, the whole of the women’s able bodied were shouting “PUSH ALEX !” (This helped). I reached the gate, dropped back onto the course and started to ski back down. I was already out of breathe from the hike but I was taking deep breaths trying to recover.  I dropped onto the steep section, I was skiing quite well, I was active but I could feel myself tiring.  I got around half way down the steep section, My skis crossed because of the bar again, I ended up skiing a gate backwards (not intentional), catching myself off balance and throwing myself down the hill. It was quite a spectacular fall.  I got up ,skied two turns and straight lined it to the bottom to watch the rest of the race.  The end results for GB.

Womens VI

1.  Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe
2.  Millie Knight and Brett Wild

Womens Standing

1. Molly Griffith

Mens Vi

1. John Dickinson-lilley and Jack Davey
2. Michael kear and Rufus Allcott

Mens Standing

1. James Whitley
2. Matt Short
3. Andy Barlow

Men’s Sitting

    2. Ben Sneesby

    3.Benji Milliard

As you can see it was very much a GB Podium :)

The second day brought the Giant Slalom. We were racing on the downhill course. This run is closed off to the public and has lots of terrain to deal with. It was a fantastic course, with a punchy start but I was very excited.

The weather had been cloudy and there was flat light for inspection which made it quite difficult to inspect.  As we queued in the start gate to start the race, the clouds parted and the sun came out.  I dropped in and after a few gates I really let the skis run. I was flying. I was making sure to finish my turn and trying my best to stand up to get more drive through the ski and to keep my weight forward. The course was awesome, I was loving every minute of it. I got to the last couple of gates, letting the skis run even more, I hit a bump in the snow and ended up hip sliding. I quickly pushed myself up, dropped in on the right side of the gate and passed the finish line. I was knackered but that was the best I have ever skied. I was proud to have skied like that and it was a good reflection on the year but I was frustrated I had fallen at the last gate.

(Photo Credit Racer Ready, Cannot be used without permission)

 We inspected the course for second run, it looked good. I could feel myself beginning to tire. I checked my ski spreader bar. It was twisted and was causing the skis to cross more. I rushed to the top and started trying to work on it. Abi Okell (the team physio) and John Clark worked tirelessly to get it ready for the next run. The start referee let me start a few numbers later in order to resolve the problems I had with the equipment.  I dropped in. I didn’t have confidence in the equipment that I wanted, so I was tentative (and tired.) I worked my way down the slope, making sure to look ahead and not get too focussed on my bar. I got to the bottom, exhausted but I made it. It was a small field but I managed to clinch a 4^th place finish, which was awesome :)

 It was a great feeling to have come to the end of my most successful season yet. I have had some ups and some downs, some frustrations and elations but that is ski racing. I have never experienced a sport that is so challenging but so rewarding at the same time.

I strive for a challenge and I am motivated to keep on pushing to be the best I can be.

So what’s next for me ?

The chiropractor has had more of an impact on me than I realised, my personal goal at the moment is to improve my stamina to how it was and to go one step further. 

I am cycling more in order to do this and hoping to increase the intensity of this. We are currently working together to get the summer season plan together to understand when I am next on snow and my goals for next season.

I started my next placement on Monday 11^th of April, I am working in Telephony, looking at the Post Office Homephone and Broadband offers. This is an exciting area and will be a great challenge.

Love
Alex

If anyone would like to sponsor my cause please click here
Or email me on alexclarke1992@outlook.com

 

Swiss & British Championships Part 1

Well that’s it, we have come to the end of the 15/16 season and what a season it has been. Not only personally, but for the team as a whole. We have our first ever overall World Champion (Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe) and we have our World Super G champion (Millie Knight and Brett Wild.)  Truly, a great year for adaptive sport.

The last two weeks of the season have been awesome, the sun was shining and the snow was great. My journey started off in Stubai, Austria. The team had been out in Mellau, Austria for the Austrian national champs but due to work commitments I joined a little later.  It was my first time in Stubai. I had the delight of being transferred from Innsbruck to Stubai in a brand new Porsche, I think I will start using Four Seasons transfers a bit more often ;)

The first day of training got off to an eventful start. On the first run I managed to completely snap one of the outriggers I use to ski with, completely in half. One of the lift operators helped me ski back down with one, luckily avoiding eating any powder.  Andy Barlow a  3 track skier from the Army team, had a spare that he kindly lent me.  I was back on the slope within the hour.

We spent 4 days training in Stubai, 2 days training slalom and 2 days training Giant Slalom. The training piste was one of the steepest pitches I have ever trained on but was a very fun hill. We stayed in a B&B which meant the team all cooked together. It is a great bonding opportunity for the team and although it takes its time and requires planning, I really enjoy it.

My goals for the fortnight was to achieve more drive through the turn and to provide more direction in order to control my speed more effectively.

To do this my focus points were:

-       Higher hip position

-       Earlier turn initiation

This was the first time I have properly skied since my chiropractic treatment and I hadn’t realised how much of an impact it has had on my body. I fatigued very quickly and found that all the extra feelings and messages I am getting from releasing the nerves, has had more of an impact than I thought. I wasn’t able to ski for as long as I had used to, but the quality was to a higher standard.

Training went well and the gates were a great challenge, especially when fresh snow had fallen and dictated even more that we were on the racing line.

On the Thursday, we moved from Austria to Obersaxen in Switzerland. This was for start of the Swiss National Championship. This was the first time I have stayed in Switzerland and I was really excited to ski here.  The Friday was the Europa Cup Finals for Giant Slalom. This is the next step in Adaptive racing from the league I am currently in. We had John Dickinson-lilley with his Guide Jack Davey and Kieran Nimmo racing.  John and Jack ended up coming 5^th and Kieran came 17^th a great finish with a competitive field.

Saturday and Sunday brought the National Championships Giant Slalom and Slalom. The weather was hot and the piste seemed really nice. It was a nice gradient with a variety of different terrain and rollers. Perfect for the level I am at and meant I could let the skis run.  After the first run, I had put down my best time ever, it wasn’t perfect but I was moving more and my time definitely reflected that. The second run came round, I was exhausted, I didn’t consciously know it, but my body was showing signs of fatigue. I got to the first drop off and my body just didn’t turn with my leg going into spasm and I ended up binning it into a pile of snow.  I got to the bottom and sat down and then I realised the extent of my fatigue.  The slalom on the second day was similar, the first run wasn’t perfect but there was definite signs of improvement with a quicker time, but as the second run came round I was fatigued and an over cautious start set me up badly for the next few gates and I ended up binning it. Frustrated, but I was starting to understand the situation with my body a bit more and the need for rest.

We moved from Switzerland to Tignes France with an overnight stop in Milano, Italy.  Euan’s (the coach) tetris skill was to an all-time high (see picture of number of bags needed to squeeze in one van.)  
This was for the Start of the British Championships. This is the first time GB have held an adaptive ski race and it was great to be part of this.

TO BE CONTINUED :) 

Much love

Alex

If anyone would like to sponsor my cause please click here

Or email me on alexclarke1992@outlook.com

 

Swiss and British Championships

I have just arrived in Neustift in the Stubai Valley for the final training and races of the season. I am currently waiting for the rest of the team to join me as they have been out for a week training and racing in the Austrian National Championships.  Before I tell you about what is in store for the next two weeks, I thought I would update you on everything that has happened since January.

At the beginning of January I started an intensive Chiropractic programme to help my body position.  This was following on from an assessment that was carried out in early December. I received the results a couple of days after getting back from Rinn.  The results found, I have a compression around the L5 (Lumber Spine/Lower back) Vertebrae, which to you, and me means there is pressure restricting the flow of messages on the nerve located at this part of my back. This provides messages to the lower legs and feet. One of the other findings (to name but a few) was a restriction around my SI joint which means that my pelvis would only move in one direction.  I started my rehab undertaking 3 adjustments (treatment) a week, slowly reducing over the course of the programme.

After the first adjustment, I was exhausted. I spent the whole day in bed and my balance was awful. The Chiropractor said that when he releases the compressions on the nerves, the body has to repair and this can take a lot out of you.  He said I was his first patient with Cerebral Palsy but my imbalances were not uncommon amongst any able bodied person.  The adjustments were having a big impact on my fatigue levels and my ability to train (not that it stopped me). There was many a grumpy man moods because I had gone and done too much, tiring myself out, but it paid off.  Around the 3 week mark, my balance improved dramatically, my energy levels were higher and I actually felt taller!!! (Always a bonus when you are only 5 ft 6.) The adjustments had worked, my body  was slowly moving into a better position, releasing the pressure on the nerves, providing more feeling to my lower legs and allowing my body to move easier. MEGA !!

 

So what else has happened ?

I am moving out of my house in Basildon, Essex and moving back in with my parents (near Sheffield).  My intention is to commute to London on the train every day. The main reason for this is, I want to cut down on the amount of driving I am doing on a weekly basis. I have, at times, being doing upwards of 800 – 900 mile a week to train whilst still working a full time job.  This isn’t good for my back and it seemed a bit pointless renting a house that I was only in a few days a week.

Right, onto the next two weeks. We are out for the last training/races of the season.  We are currently training in Stubai, Austria for a few days. On Thursday we move to Obersaxen in Switzerland for the Swiss National Champs. We then move onto Tignes for the British National Champs. Tignes will be an amazing event, the races fall at the same time as the able bodied British National races and Freestyle, I am every excited to be a part of this.

There are four races, two Slalom events and two Giant Slalom. I am really excited to get out on the snow and start putting all the benefits I have gained from the Chiropractor into practice.

I shall leave it there for now, I will provide a full update when I get back. Wish me luck.

Love

Alex

x

If anyone would like to sponsor my cause please click here

Or email me on alexclarke1992@outlook.com

 

Happy New Year

Hi everyone,

 

First of all, Happy new year :)

I hope everyone had a good Christmas and New year, and is finally settled back into the normal routine. I had a great Christmas and New Year, I don’t feel like I have rested but I wouldn’t change it.  You know when you are officially a ‘grown up’ when you receive new ties and work shirts for Christmas :)

On Boxing day my parents and I flew out to Austria for 8 days in Zell am See. We then moved onto Rinn (near Innsbruck) for 2 days racing.  Zell am See is a very picturesque resort, with a huge Lake in the middle surrounded by mountains. When we got there it came apparent very quickly there was a severe lack of snow, but the resort had done very well to keep many of the runs open.

We stayed in Haus Ashling, which is owned by an Irish couple Eugene and Margaret, they brought a family feel to the hotel, which made a very relaxed atmosphere. They also had a hot tub that overlooked the mountains, which was AMAZING!!! 

The first few days of a new resort I always struggle with, I don’t know if it’s my confidence or trying to get my ski legs back, but I am always a bit tentative. My goal for the trip was to get a higher hip position and increase my endurance, allowing me to ski on more terrain, for longer. 

The third day was awesome. We ventured all over the mountain, skiing roughly 20km in a couple of hours, I even skied my first black run :) I had a lot of fun and this was probably the furthest I have ever skied in such a short amount of time. Unfortunately this ruined my back for the next few days and I struggled with pain due to tightness in the lower muscles and vertebrae’s….the hot tub came in very handy.

For our recovery programme we were lucky enough to find a spot next to Lake Zell.  We spent time with the agility cones, trying to get quicker movement through the feet and keep driving forward. We also spent quite some time jumping and hopping, I am not sure what the locals thought to a guy on crutches trying to hop, but it certainly got some interesting looks.

We had the benefit of spending New Year in this amazing place. My parents and I had a relaxed evening going out for a meal and then headed back up to Haus Ashling to watch the fireworks from the hotel with the rest of the guests. The fireworks were incredible and lasted for over an hour, it was a great start to the New Year and will be something I never forget.

My skis have taken a bit of a battering of the last year, those of you that have seen my skis will say that is a bit of an understatement. The poor snow conditions dealt the final blow, snapping off part of the edge and leaving me with very little/no grip.  I had ordered some new ones at the beginning of December but due to a number of reasons they hadn’t arrived yet.  This posed a problem for the upcoming race. I have a special attachment to keep my skis apart (a solid tether), which is actually drilled through the top of each ski, which makes borrowing skis a problem.  Justin (coach) kindly said he would let me borrow his skis. This meant I would have to use a clip on tether to keep my skis apart that was made of rope, rather than a solid fixed tether. This is something I have not skied with for quite a while. 

On the 3^rd of January we travelled to Rinn near Innsbruck to compete in two slalom races. A Day & a night slalom.  The events are put on as part of the Roll Rinn festival, which is a charity festival that raises money for children with disabilities in Austria.   The first event was the night slalom; this is the first time I have skied in night slalom. The resort is so small there was only time to practice before the course was set. I tried Justin’s skis using a tether but I did not feel comfortable on these and quickly resorted back to my old knackered skis. Although they had fewer grips, I was more confident on these. I was looking forward to the race but at the same time I had very little confidence in my equipment, which brought on some doubt in my mind. 

As the light faded, the course was illuminated by huge floodlights, signalling the start of inspection. We inspected the course, it looked good, there were 3 rollers and the snow was a bit soft, which was perfect for the equipment I was on. Feeling less doubtful, I queued up in the start gate. This is the first time I have actually un-clipped from skis in the start area and found this made me relax much easier and I was able to activate the right muscles. Shortly after the first racer dropped in, it started to snow. My number neared, so I stripped down to my cat suit and lined up in the gate, the start referee nicknamed me superman because of my second name, which made me laugh, easing the tension. I dropped in and started my run. The snow was soft and was starting to rut, turning the course into a mogul field. My run was rather sketchy to say the least but I made it down, increasing my confidence dramatically. The second run came round; the snow had hardened slightly due to the decreasing temperature but it was still snowing. I dropped in aiming to get my body position higher and really drive the ski forward, I made it down and finished in 15^th Place. I was happy :) As the last skier crossed the finish line this did not see the end of the evening The organisers had put on live bands, fashions parades and great food all in the aid of charity….it was quite a spectacle and was a great event to attend.

The second day came round, I was exhausted from getting back late the night before, but I was keen to get going. I got down the first run 15 seconds faster than my first run on the first day, I was happy. The second run I took a few pointers from our guys and let my skis run on the flatter section. I was travelling with much more speed but a quick lapse in concentration due to fatigue, meant I was extremely late coming out of a turn and I missed one of the last gates.  A bit frustrated with myself but I was happy with what I had done.

John Dickinson Lilley and his guide Jack Davey finished in 2^nd place for the Visually Impaired category and Michael Kear and Rufus Alcott finished in third place on both days. Well done to everyone and great few days.

Following on from my last post I thought I would give a bit of an update on Jeffrey Stuut. Jeff (pictured right) is now out of hospital and is on the mend, he spent some time with family over Christmas but is currently in the Papendal  National Training Centre in Veluwe.  He has been on the anti gravity running machine and is making good progress. Currently running at 60% his body weight. He is very keen to come back stronger than ever. Best wishes for him for the New Year.

So what’s next for me? I am now back at work and right in the thick of it. I am chasing down my new skis, eager to get back on the boards. My next races are in March but before then I am trying to ski as many weekends as I can. I am also seeing a Chiropractor 3 times a week to sort out my body position & posture. I had my first adjustment last Friday and feel this will make a big difference. Speak soon

Love

Alex

x

If anyone would like to sponsor my cause please click here

Or email me on alexclarke1992@outlook.com