Page 50 - RADC Bulletin 2021

Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team
Maj N Jordan
The turbulence of the last few years has been felt across every walk of life, with social isolation, distress and loneliness a damagingly recurring feature. For veterans suffering with physical injury and/or psychological illness, this period has been significantly challenging and a threat to their overall recovery process. Service charities have rallied where possible, to provide support and respite and my current role has been a testament to this. As my time in this hugely rewarding position closes, I wanted to give you an insight into the incredible opportunity I have had to positively impact the lives of our wounded veterans and serving personnel.
The philosophy of the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST) is to assist in the freedom, recovery and transformation of WIS veterans and serving personnel through the power of winter sport and it provides opportunities in alpine skiing, snowboarding and cross-country. We normally deliver around 25 recovery serials per year
across our foundation and performance programs, though the coronavirus pandemic significantly dented our opportunity to venture overseas last season. Instead, we found innovative ways to engage with the veterans who have come to rely so heavily on the charity for support, friendship and a
sense of belonging to something worthwhile again. Since their injury or illness, many have found themselves lost, desperately missing the lives they were forced to leave behind and engagement in a sport with like-minded individuals can help them feel part of a team again. Add the incredible healing power
of the outdoor mountain environment and the sense of achievement a person gets from tackling a tasty red run or a 10km loop and you have a very powerful mechanism for restoring self-belief and confidence. A very important thread runs through the planning of every serial with delivery of on-snow activities created in such a way
as to allow the beneficiaries to discover ways to adapt and overcome their fears or limitations, hopefully demonstrating how this can filter through to wider life situations. Developing a sense of autonomy is integral to the philosophy of the charity so that
they can feel in control again and as they move through their own recovery journey, they become mentors for others, stream towards instructor qualifications or take on ambassadorial roles.
In addition to delivery of snowsport to well over 100 veterans and service personnel over the last few years, there are a small number who have excelled in winter sport and have benefitted from a more intensive
program. One of the unique selling points of the charity is that it supports a performance pathway to the highest echelons of international competition and as part of
my role, I have been Head Coach to four who are now considered elite para-alpine athletes. We have grown together as a team over the last few years, the athletes rising from novice racers to their current standing as World Cup skiers who are in
48 RADC BULLETIN 2021
SPORT & AT