Help..

I'm putting out a plea to see if anyone has any usable 165cm slalom skis that they are prepared to donate to the Disabled Ski guys at Milton Keynes. Whilst any donation of skis at any time, either pairs or singles, would be really useful, there is urgent need for one pair as otherwise the order for a new pair has to go in this week.

They really do the most fantastic job at MK, and it really does make a huge difference to people’s lives. I’m sure that you are all familiar with Pam Robb’s story, and can imagine how much more devastating her accident would have been if she were not able to get back on skis. Adaptive Ski Milton Keynes needs these skis to help people like Pam to get skiing independently using a sit ski, but by not eating up valuable funds, money will also be available to help other disabled skiers. For me the work that ASMK do is epitomised by one lovely young man in particular. He is 24, is physically able bodied, but has almost no ability to communicate with the outside world, has never spoken a word, and appears to be unable to do the simplest thing without continuous prompting and help. However get him on the slope and he is transformed. Once you get him to the lift, which bless him is a bit of a mission as he doesn’t understand moving forward in a queue, he gets on the lift on his own, he gets off on his own, he can follow a guide down the slope in lovely sweeping GS parallel turns, and the transformation to his usually totally blank face, when he breaks into an ear to ear grin, is just magic. He was even chortling away to himself last Sunday, although I have no idea what the joke was!

If you know that you have a pair of suitable skis that the ASMK guys could have, please let me know by the end of the week so that I can save them from “wasting” their money on a new pair. They need to be around 165cm, so sadly girls slalom skis are no use, and in reasonable condition. They don’t need to have bindings as we have some of Franki’s to use, although if they came with bindings that would be a huge help as this would avoid having to mess about trying to fill holes and fit the ‘wrong’ bindings. We don’t need to have them by the end of week – we just need to know that they are available. A promise of a pair when the season has finished would be great – although I suppose there is a risk of them getting trashed by then and leaving ASMK high & dry.

Thanks

Caroline Simonds

020  8994 5290

07770 753621