The GB Paralympic Winter Games Team arrives in Torino on the 4 March to take part in the 9th Paralympic games.
The standard of winter Paralympic sport has risen sharply over recent years, with the major alpine countries funding full time teams. It is now a major achievement for an athlete to meet the exacting qualifying standards to be able to take part in the games.
The team is made up of 3 members of the British Adaptive Ski Team, Wheelchair Curling and Sledge Hockey teams.
The British Adaptive Ski Team is managed and run by Disability Snowsport UK which is the National body for Adaptive Skiing in the UK. Together with the development of adaptive ski racing, they run the adaptive ski school on CairnGorm Mountain, overseas activity weeks, a schools and youth programme and provide opportunities and access to snowsport at ski slopes throughout the UK for people for disabilities.
The Ski team comprises, Russell Docker, Liz Miller and Sean Rose all of whom have qualified in all ski disciplines.
Russell represented GB at the Salt Lake Games and comes into the games confident of a high finish after winning the super G event at last years Europa Cup final and a series of top 10 finishes on the World Cup circuit.
For Sean, who is a World Water Ski Champion, and Liz this is their first winter games and are looking to achieve top ten finishes.
They will be competing against full time athletes from throughout the world with the American, Swiss, Japanese and Austrian teams being particularly strong.
The Alpine Ski Team is managed by Robbie Young from Boat of Garten.
Action from the games can be accessed online on www.paralympicsport.tv and a one hour highlights programme will be shown on BBC 2 on 26 March.
For more information on how to take part in adaptive skiing please contact 01479 861272.
www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk
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