If you’ve been inspired by the snow that’s hit the UK recently, you may be thinking about whether you can take part in winter sports safely. The excitement and adrenaline that comes with skiing and snowboarding, and the fun that can be had with more gentle winter sports can be something you’ll become addicted to – so be warned!

Here, we take a look at some of the popular winter sports for wheelchair users and discuss what adaptations you’ll need if you want to take part.

Alpine Skiing

Whether you’re looking at Slalom or Giant Slalom events, the first thing you’ll need is a bit of courage. Alpine skiing, whether for wheelchair users or standing skiers can be pretty scary, but the excitement and exhilaration you can experience when practicing these kinds of sports is well worth that first, initial, stomach churning run!  With the use of a mono ski, you’ll experience a ski that is fast, close to the snow and you’ll be able to take corners just as ably as those standing skiers (after a bit of practice of course) There are three main classes of sitting skiers in Alpine Skiing:

LW12 – This is for those skiers with both thighs amputated and a low level of paralysis and a lot of body stability

LW11 – This is for those who have a higher level of paralysis and a lower level of body stability, but can move the abdominal muscles.

LW10 – This class is for those who have no sitting balance and can only move their arms.

The mono skis used are mainly built onto the same frame, which resembles some of the parts used in motocross, however the top of the mono ski will differ based on your movement capability. If you’re worried about crashing and sliding all the way down, don’t panic – there are pieces fixed to the side of the mono skis that will ensure that they dig into the snow and stop you sliding if you go over. It’s a fantastic sport to take part in, and well worth having a go.

Cross country Skiing

This is a great way to learn the initial ins and outs of sitting skiing.  One of the main differences between this and slalom skiing is the frame that is used. Whilst most slalom competitors favour a mono ski – cross-country sitting skiers ski on a chair on top of a frame with 2 skis although there are a variety of different adaptations that can be made.  It’s essential to have good upper body strength for this type of skiing andgood spine movement.

Disabled Biathlon – Cross country skiing & shooting

If you’ve mastered cross-country skiing, then the next natural step would be to combine it with a bit of target shooting.  Essentially, once you’ve skied around a 2.5km loop, you have to shoot, from a prone position, at a metal target, which contains 5 plates positioned 10m from you. Then complete another 2 loops, shooting each time you finish the loop.

It’s pretty difficult to master the art of biathlon, and not just because you have to ski with a 7-pound rifle strapped to your back! Shooting well, and putting that on top of an exhilarating ski, may give you the ultimate adrenaline rush. To put it into context of difficulty, the bull’s eye is a tiny 15mm diameter, and if you’re unlucky enough to miss the target, you need to take another 150m loop as a penalty.

Ice sledge Hockey

Fast-paced, physical and not for the faint hearted, Ice Sledge Hockey has become one of the most popular events at the Paralympics. With the same rules as the International Ice Hockey Federation, players make use of double-blade sledges that have space to allow a puck to pass underneath. Participants are given two sticks, with a blade end, which is used for shooting, and a spike end for pushing the puck along the ice. The game itself consists of three fast paced periods of 15 minutes, and you’ll need some protective gear, such as a helmet with a mask or full cage, and plenty of padding – as this game can get VERY physical indeed!

Wheelchair Curling

A slow starter at first, wheelchair curling has now become a pretty popular sport for wheelchair users. It’s as close to the regular game as it’s possible to be, and there’s only one modification to the rules – no sweeping. If you’re unfamiliar with curling, it requires participants to slide stones across the ice, towards a target, which is named the “house”. The team that places the most stones closest to the centre of the house wins. However, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Participants on the opposing team are likely to knock your team’s stones away whilst getting their own nearer to the house.

Para Snowboarding

Although not as common a sport for those who require a sit board, this is an exhilarating and growing sport. There are various different adaptations to boards being developed and this promises to bring snowboarding to many different types of wheelchair user with lower limb disabilities. Currently, although not many places in the UK offer the opportunity to learn to snowboard for wheelchair users, this is bound to change, and there are some places that will offer snowboarding lessons for those in a wheelchair even now.

So, if you’re looking for an exciting new hobby, or even to become on of the next generation of winter paralympians, why not give some or all of the sports above a go. You may just find you’ve got a talent for more than one of them!

Technological advancement has proved to be a boon for the disabled people. In this age, due to technical progression, companies like Karma Mobility manufacture a wide range of wheelchairs and powerchairs to make disabled people move here and there easily, without any help.