Travel Blog: Life on the mountain

This winter we’re following the adventures of Michael Standen, who at the age of 32 has decided to leave his public relations career and life in London behind for a winter in the mountains in France. He’ll be sharing his experiences with the readers of Travelbite.co.uk and here is his seventh blog entry:

It’s fair to say I’m pretty injury/ accident prone, which has been a bane of my whole life. Even when I was a mere toddler I was hospitalised for drinking a bottle of white spirits (hummn, maybe that’s when my love of all things alcoholic developed?) and not long after I was back with stitches to my knee.

So far in life I’ve ruptured my spleen, slipped two discs in my back, torn a knee ligament, had my nose broken twice, dislocated my thumb, broken a toe, shattered an elbow plus many many other cuts and bruises.

However, I do count myself as lucky. Why? Well, despite my constant attempts to damage myself, I am very much able bodied, and for that, I am a lucky one.

It wasn’t until getting to the mountains that I realised how people with disabilities mostly miss out on the sport - no, lifestyle - that I love the most. Skiing with a full set of limbs and working senses is hard enough (that’s why I snowboard, my lack of co-ordination will be the end of me), so take one of them away and it leaves more than a struggle that I can’t comprehend.

So when the company I work for highlighted its corporate sponsorship of Disability Snowsport UK (DSUK) and highlighted how people with disabilities strive even harder to enjoy life on the mountain, I was somewhat impressed.

This was hit home even harder during our training week when our awesome local barkeep, Arnie the Dutchman, told us how his girlfriend Vicki skies on a sit-ski after losing her foot in a horse riding accident. Ok, so you have no right foot but you love to ski? Well yes, why would that stop me? And why should it.

There is no need for people with disabilities to be excluded from anything, which most definitely includes the mountain love. The work DSUK undertakes is inspiring, and we’re doing what we can in resorts to fundraise for them. In fact, every company employ in resorts this winter will be doing something to raise money for them.

My good friend Oli has already got the ball rolling with a (very comical) sponsored head shave (he actually spent the day with only half his head shaved, thanks to some practical jokes).

So next time you’re on the slopes and you see a sit-ski or a blind guider and skier, appreciate how difficult you found it to ride the slopes that day, and try to appreciate how their day was too – and I guarantee they will some of the happiest out on the slopes too.

More can be found about DSUK on their website.

Michael Standen

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