Ben Clatworthy's Blog

With the main Olympic games over attention turns to the Paralympic games in the host city. The Vancouver Olympic Centre has become The Vancouver Paralympic Centre and the medals have Braille on them; it’s a brilliant competition shining with equality. We have a video report too.

Having a disabled brother who is skiing crazy and uses a sit-ski himself the Paralympic games highlight how accepting the world can be when it wants. It’s a lovely sight to see disabled athletes competing on the worlds highest sporting stage doing what they love.

Let the games begin...

But here in Britain the Paralympics aren’t exactly drawing the same exposure as the able-bodied games did last month. The BBC are lacking coverage, instead highlighting the two weeks competition in one hour at the end and the newspapers are writing supplements on these games. It’s a sad sight really but there is no doubt that our British represenatives out in Canada will have a brilliant time.

Sean Rose and Ben Clatworthy in October 2009.

We might just bring home another GBR medal; Sean Rose has already won gold in the Disabled Skiing World Cup this year and is on top form. Its a perfect chance for him to shine and boost coverage of Paralympic sports in the UK. I met Sean in October last year at the Metro Ski and Snowboard show and he is a truly inspirational skier – I’ve kept in contact with him since and written several articles this year as I followed his progress.

I wish all of Great Britain’s athletes at the games the very best of luck and really hope I’ll be able to write a blog on a medal sometime in the next fortnight.

If you’re interested in finding out more about skiing for the disabled why not check out these videos I made last season on Disabled skiing. It’s an inspirational sport! Click here to watch the videos.

If you are interested in using any of these videos please contact Ben Clatworthy through his website. Thank you.

Mid season and it’s here, there and everywhere on the British Ski Racing circuit; last week Ben Clatworthy was in Italy this weekend he was in Scotland.

Tired, worn out and holding a shiny Bronze medal from Scotland, it’s been quite a fortnight; plus, when I’ve not been on skis I’ve been watching it, reading it, and enjoying it – It could only be the Olympics.

Over Half Term it was a trip to Bormio in Italy for the English Alpine Ski Championships; the third consecutive year in Bormio for the races. The resort underwent substantial upgrades in the summer of 2004 in order to host the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in 2005. Its one of the best resorts for racing and continues to host the World Cup and previously the World Cup finals. What a resort. The town itself is lovely too with old Italian arcitecture, and no purpose built appartments in sight.

Finish area in Bormio

For the first time this year the race orginisers had managed to cram 5 races into 5 days. The ski cross was canceled due to lack of interest from happy injury free racers. I must admit I was happy enough without it. Slalom started the week, followed by Giant Slalom before the Senior competition started on Tuesday with Super-G, then GS and Slalom to end.

Bormio is one of the highlights on my race calendar, along with the British Championships; however unlike the Brits, Bormio features purely from a resort perspective, not a race one (although that is the main and ulitmatly best event) but from the atmosphere in such a picturesqe resort. Bliss.

Back to rainy England, and back to school for a week. Lessons by day, Olympic skiing by night as stuck cocktail sticks between my eyelids to stay awake in a constant struggle with the 8 hour time difference to PST. It won’t be much better for Sochi in 2014, being 3 hours ahead of us, the Men’s downhill is likely to start at 7am – breakfast time!

Bormio welcomes the English.

The week past as quickly as ever and it was back to Bristol Airport and on a plane to Edinburgh. My first time in Scotland, and my first ever time skiing there. The plan was to race on the Saturday and Sunday, but mass snowfall left us in Pertshire for the night and driving to the resort of Glenshee the next morning. With talk of ‘Snow Gates’ and record snowfall, even too much snow in places we were expecting to see the Alps. It was too good to be true. Once we were in the resort, just shy of midday, the runs turned out to be rather short, icy and extremely windy. It was easy to go uphill than down.

The first Scottish FIS Alpine Ski race since 2002 got underway at 3pm and ended as the sun was setting over the highlands at 5.30pm. Welcome to British ski racing. Unpredictable to say the least. Taking bronze in my category of race really made the trip worthwhile. Back in the car and off to the hotel.

Racing passed without issues on Sunday; I fell in the first run leaving me cafe bound and ready to head back to Bristol. What a couple of weeks, 7 different FIS ski races, many different countries and in need of an early night. Welcome to the world of ski racing.