HEATHER MILLS Winter Paralympian

Heather Mills is training for the 2014 Winter Paralympic Games in Russia. At 45 !and a relative novice on the slopes Heather’s progress is simply inspirational. She had her first trial with the British disability skiing team in December 2010 and officially joined the 19-strong development squad last year. New athletes embarking on disability skiing enter with an International Paralympic Committee Alpine Ski (IPCAS) score of 990; this is reduced through competing in Europa Cup and World Cup events. In the short time she has been skiing Heather has cut her Super-G score to 311.94, with 582.91 for downhill. Athletes need to reach a score of 220 to be eligible for the Games.

Getting to this level has been pelvis after her original accident Cup title in the speed race last something of an uphill struggle in 1993, medical experts year, followed by four golds at for Heather. As a leg amputee advised against this. the US Adaptive Alpine Skiing she would be eligible to Typically, this has not National Championships in compete on a mono-ski, significantly hampered her Aspen, Colorado. She has however due to the metal plates prospects on the slopes as she recently won three silver and which were inserted into her claimed the Super-G Austria one bronze medal at the ➤

20 LIMBPOWER SPORT 2013 HEATHER MILLS

➤ National Championships in (62mph) on slalom skis and Innerkrems, Austria in March. that’s very dangerous?” Speaking of the level of But despite her impressive sacrifice that is required, speed, Heather’s progress was Heather praised the efforts of hampered by difficulties with her The London Prosthetic Centre ordinary prosthetic leg, which who worked closely with her to frequently ‘ejected’ her from her develop a specialised prosthetic skis. That’s when she visited skiing leg that can withstand the Consultant Prosthetist, Abdo harsh racing conditions. She Haidar, at The London said: “A prosthesis is not just Prosthetic Centre in Kingston that Heather possesses. We about helping people regain upon Thames, to have a new come across a lot of talented mobility in their lives; it’s about specialised skiing prosthetic people and I genuinely believe enabling them to achieve their leg fitted that would be ideally that she can achieve success goals. If I'm going to do this, suited to the task. at the games. We are thrilled I’m going to do it properly. That One of the difficulties was to have the opportunity to help means spending half of every finding a design that would her in such astonishing month training in the Alps, and enable Heather to ski freely. achievements.” six-hour round trips on the train Mr Haidar even visited the The London Prosthetic Centre to the Milton Keynes indoor Hemel Hempstead ski slopes to is the only facility in London to snow zone when I’m home. watch Heather in action, and provide cutting-edge prosthetic Abdo Haidar, the Consultant help her with any problems. It care within a private facility Prosthetist, and the team at The was a painstaking process that equipped with a modern London Prosthetic Centre fully involved over a year of fine workshop and silicone facilities. understood this from day one, tuning and over 15 appoint- It is a division of RSL Steeper, and devoted the care, attention, ments. Mr Haidar explains: which was founded in 1921, ability and creativity that enabled “We spent so much time to and is one of the largest me to push on with complete find the ideal solution, working suppliers of prosthetic, orthotic confidence.” all the while with Heather and and assistive care in the world. Heather’s achievements are her coach. The key was to even more remarkable when provide maximum control and one considers that she only manoeuvrability, so that Heather took up ski race training a few could take corners close to the years’ ago after being spotted ground and really attack them on the slopes and encouraged with complete confidence. To to try out for competitive skiing. achieve this we designed and The London Prosthetics Centre fitted the socket in a way that “I was on holiday in Austria, it Unit 20, Kingsmill Business Park was really early in the morning considerably reduces movement Chapel Mill Road and they’d opened the lifts for and thereby enhances control Kingston Upon Thames the racers and one slope was and focus.” Surrey KT1 3GZ empty so I just kept going Heather has been selected for straight down,” said the charity the team and Mr Haidar believes Tel: 0208 789 6565 campaigner. she could do very well at the Website: “I hadn’t skied properly for 2014 Winter Paralympics in www.thelondonprosthetics.com 10 years, but the head of the Russia. Email: Slovenian Masters said, “You “Of course, the key factor is [email protected] know you’re doing 100kph the incredible drive and courage [email protected]

22 LIMBPOWER SPORT 2013