ME AND THE MONOSKI
A monoski is a specially constructed ski that permits even handicapped athletes to enjoy the various disciplines of downhill skiing. I used to ski recreationally before the accident and spent several weeks on the snowy slopes each winter. Even though handbiking is by far my most favorite sport, I percieve monoskiing as a great complementary exercise and a suitable alternative to handbike traning, especially given the limited training conditions in the winter season.
I first tried monoskiing in the winter of 2005 – I began getting used to the monoski and acquired some basic technique. Unfortunately, I was teaching myself and from the beginning developed certain mistakes in style that later proved difficult to remove. The true “beginning” took place in the winter of 2007, when I took advantage of a course being offered by the center for handicapped skiers in Janské Lázně. Under the supervision of experienced coaches I began to iron out the flaws in my style. Currently, I am still working on my style and strive to achieve perfection. I consider myself an experienced monoskier who is capable of dealing with slopes of any difficulty.
Last I would like to point out that even though monoskiing is somewhat different from regular skiing, the feeling of freedom and the adrenalin rush of this activity are fully identical to the ones perceived in regular skiing. However, I have set my priorities clearly and hence skiing remains a complementary exercise as well as a part of winter training. Having said this, I have no ambitions to compete in skiing at the moment; nonetheless, one day I would like to experience the atmosphere of a skiing competition.
