The Combined Services Disabled Ski Team (CSDST)
CSDST
is open to any serving or retired member of the Armed Forces with a permanent disability. The disability may have been sustained through action on operations, illness or accident; and may have occurred after them leaving the services. CSDST aims to improve the individual skill of every athlete who joins the team through high quality coaching through a process which encourages and promotes the raw talent of near beginners, as well as providing high level performance coaching up to International level. CSDST’s ultimate aim is to feed athletes into the British Disabled Ski Team (BDST) at the appropriate moment; with the ultimate goal of participation in Paralympic events.
CSDST generally takes novice disabled skiers from Exercise SNOW WARRIOR (Adaptive) (ESW(A)) which is run by the Adventurous Training Group (Army). However, personnel also come to the team after participation in other skiing events such as with BLESMA. At the beginning of the training year, CSDST feed the novice skiers into a development programme, much of which is run at indoor Snow Centres across the UK. This is aimed at providing basic skills and technique training and increasing skiers’ experience and confidence on snow. In November of each year, those that wish to take their skiing further are able to attend our Skills Camp in Austria, during which their alpine techniques are improved. At the end of this, skiers are taught elementary ski racing techniques and are introduced to “race gates”. Those that show aptitude and a desire to progress further, are then able to participate in the full range of military alpine races from Corps/Unit level through to racing at the Inter Service Championships.
Those skiers who show real promise are encouraged to race at International Paralympic Committee Alpine Skiing (IPCAS) and then at Europa Cup level and, if they achieve the requisite points, may then be invited to join BDST for their continued progression through North America (NORAM)/Southern Hemisphere Cup levels before progressing on to World Cup and Paralympic competition.
Anyone wanting to join the team should contact the Development Manager. The Chairman would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in sponsoring the team via the same link.
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