The Winter X Games are extending
its fitness and wellness opportunities to individuals with physical
disabilities. According to Mike Schultz, creator of the Moto knee, “It’s kind
of unlimited.” Mike, also known as Moto Mike, created the Moto knee as an adaptive
prosthetic made for hardcore, impact sports. It allows for adaptive sliding,
bending, and jumping. With MonoSkis and other adaptive gear, athletes like Josh
Duek (2011 Mono X Gold Medalist), Andrew Kurka (Alaskan Sit-Skier), Evan Strong
(Boarder X), and Moto Mike, can compete in sports that they might not have
otherwise had the opportunity to compete in.
As
a future Physical Therapist, I was truly inspired to see the determination these
athletes possess which allows them to accomplish these amazing athletic feats.
I can only imagine what they go through to train for the intense competition of
the Winter X Games. Josh Duek solidifies their capabilities by saying, “You
just go 100%, all the way.” Adaptations to the equipment and to the prosthetics
used, along with their positive attitudes, allow these athletes to give their ‘all’
on the mountain slopes.
It
is important to include individuals with disabilities in the Winter X Games
because they are fully capable beings. The ultimate take-away is that the
disabled must be allowed the right to compete, to fall, to fail, to suffer, to
cry, to curse, and to despair – to protect them from these experiences is to
keep them from life. When athletes (disabled or not) engage in competition such
as the Winter X Games, they show others that you can accomplish anything that
you put your mind to!
Cole Hollingsworth
ReplyDeleteAdapted Winter X Games
I watched the video on the adaptive Winter X Games and those individuals are much braver than I am. For them to be able to ski at speeds up to 50 mph on adapted sleds that are only balanced by one ski under the competitor and the two balance poles they have in their hands to me is amazing. They would have to have impressive core strength to be able to move at the speeds they do and not slip and fall. Wanting to be a future college basketball coach these individuals can inspire anyone to try their hardest. If any of my players think they cannot succeed or have doubts about themselves this video should show them that if they work hard enough, they can succeed. Including these individuals in the Winter X Games is important because they are athletes also. To keep them from competing and doing what they love is like keeping the able bodied professional athletes from playing their sports. The adapted athletes get the benefit of competition and the joy of being able to ski again. They also get the benefit of a great workout.
M'lyn Swinney
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video about adaptive winter games it allowed me to think that in my career as strength and conditioning coach I could help these men and women properly prepare themselves to make it to these games. These games allow individuals with physical disabilities the ability to participate in a winter games just like an abled body individual. This allows them to show that they can participate and do these sports just like anyone else but they just have to modify to their specifications such as downhill skiing with ski’s on the wheel chair like Andrew Kurka or like Mike Shultz aka “Monster Mike” who participate in motocross and snow cross with a knee he calls a “motto knee” which is a prosthetic leg that he wears during these races. He is now participating in a competitive snowboarding race. He shows that everyone can do these activity, they just do them in their own personal way.