SIA HEALTHCARE SKI TRIP 2023

Conquering fears, tears of pride and a whole lot of fun along the way! The 2023 SIA Healthcare ski trip was a huge success!

At SIA Healthcare we have always looked at ways that we can further support SIA and the SCI community. And so in 2019 we partnered with Teleflex and Freerider to run a ski trip for SIA members.

The trip, a fantastic few days in Northern Italy, was a huge success for everyone involved, not least for our group of determined SCI skiers who had either never skied before or not skied since sustaining their injury. Our amazing team of coaches showed them that being spinal cord injured was no barrier to being able to ski and the group had an amazing time on the slopes, conquering fears, learning new skills, and having lots of fun in the process.

Since the success of that ground-breaking trip, we have always wanted the SIA ski trip to

The following month, in March 2020, Covid hit and our plans to run the 2021 ski trip were put on hold for two very long years.

There were tears of frustration, followed by tears of joy and pride when members of the group realised their capabilities on the slopes and beyond become an annual event, and in February 2020 a second group headed off to Folgaria, with the same success as the first.

So it was with huge delight that we were able to announce that the 2023 ski trip was to go ahead!

Two years of pent-up excitement finally culminated in a group of ten SIA members and four members of the Bullen Healthcare team, meeting at Manchester Airport on 5 February ready to fly to Folgaria for three days of skiing. Dave Eastham, one of SIA’s support coordinators, arranged a meeting with the assistance team at Manchester to make sure that everything went smoothly at the airport.

Once the group arrived in Folgaria it was time to check in to the hotel, unpack, relax and get to know each other ready for the first day of

I am excited and ready to get stuck in, the mountain looks beautiful. The team at Freerider have been amazing and have been a great support skiing the following morning. We understand that there may have been some slightly fuzzy heads at breakfast!

Monday morning dawned and everyone was up bright and early, not really knowing what to expect but wrapped up warm and sporting their new SIA ski trip woolly hats! It’s safe to say that yet again, the three days exceeded everyone’s expectations. There were tears of frustration, followed by tears of joy and pride when members of the group realised their capabilities on the slopes and beyond. Evenings were spent talking about the day’s triumphs, and bonding over shared experiences.

The group members, with injuries ranging from L5/S1 incomplete, to C7 complete, achieved amazing things on the slopes, despite six of the group having never skied before, proving that accessible skiing really is for everyone, regardless of level of injury.

The Freerider team, who supported the skiers at every

This trip has been an outstanding experience for myself and others with SCI. Having not travelled since my accident, the team at EasyJet ensured that everything ran as smoothly as hoped which has taken away my initial fears of travelling. With the help and support of Freerider I have proven to myself and others that anything is possible!” stage, specialise in adaptive skiing and have worked with people with all levels of spinal cord injury. They know how to encourage people out of their comfort zone, in a friendly and supportive way, and to help them achieve their goals. We boarded the flight home tired, but with an enormous sense of pride at what everyone had achieved. We will be running the ski trip again in 2024 so do keep your eyes peeled later in the year for details on how to get involved.

Further Information

SIA Healthcare is a collaboration between SIA and Bullen Healthcare, a fourth-generation, family-owned independent Dispensing Appliance Contractor (DAC). As the UK’s largest independent DAC, Bullen are able to always put the needs of their customers first, meaning that customers have the freedom to choose whatever products suit them and their lifestyle without fear of products being changed.

To find out more about SIA Healthcare, call us now on 0800 023 8841 or visit spinal.co.uk/get-support/sia-healthcare/