FIRST IMPACT
CAMPAIGN FOR TRAIL RUNNING
Great strides are happening in adaptive sports The importance of recreation is well researched and perhaps unquestioned, and this is certainly the case for those experiencing disability. How a disability affects an individual varies of course and can range from physical, intellectual, sensory, and developmental. Thankfully, across Canada there are several programs that are leading the way with inclusive and accessible experiences, and these are examples for others to mirror. There are also several other commercial enterprises that are recognizing the benefits of handicapitalism and pursuing innovative approaches that ensure people experiencing disability can participate equitably. Based in Canmore, AB, Rocky Mountain Adapted offers outdoor programs for every season including alpine skiing, crosscountry skiing, snowshoeing and winter camping. In the summer, participants can take part in biking, kayaking and hiking including the use of a trail-rider, which is a modified wheelchair that looks like a cross between a wheelbarrow and a rickshaw. Friends are positioned in the front and back and act as sherpas by pushing and pulling the trail rider along the hike. New to the Alberta adapted outdoor scene is Adaptable Outdoors, based out of Pincher Creek, AB, now entering their second summer of adventure programming. Programs include hiking, fishing and paddling. In British Columbia, Whistler Adapted
16 Outdoor Summer 2021
offers similar programs as well as swimming, triathlon, yoga and gymnastics. The Niagara Penguins in St. Catharines, ON offer programs in handcycling and boccia, among others, for youth and young adults with a physical disability. All Trails now provides hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers focusing on trail access for persons using wheelchairs. There are also a plethora of commercial enterprises developing innovations through technology and equipment. Bowhead Corp adapted bikes in Bragg Creek, AB is pioneering the design of accessible mountain bikes, and Arc’teryx recently showcased the creation of a prosthesis for climbing that mimicked the design of a mountain goat’s hoof. Canada has fantastic outdoor recreation opportunities and kudos to the organizations profiled here that are helping enable persons experiencing disability to not just participate but lead and thrive. By David Legg, Ph.D, Professor at Mount Royal University in Calgary, AB davidfhlegg davidfhlegg — By Karen Dommett, Program Manager, Calgary Adapted Hub powered by Jumpstart in Calgary, AB yycadaptedhub yycadaptedhub yycadaptedhub
Since 1896, running has held a place at the Olympic Games. In the 125 years since that first instance of the modern Olympics, multiple running events have joined track and field as well as the road marathon, but trail running has remained absent from the Olympic programme. A group out of Spain is looking to change that. Organizers of the Penyagolosa Trails race, which is a stop on the Ultra-Trail World Tour, have launched a campaign to get trail running into the Games. They have their sights set on the 2028 Olympics, which are set to take place in Los Angeles, Cali. The West Coast state also happens to be home to one of the world’s most difficult and oldest 100-mile trail races, the Western States Endurance Run. An online manifesto argues that the discipline has already met the requirements to be part of the Olympics. Trail running is practised in more than 75 countries and five continents and it represents the core Olympic values of excellence, friendship and respect. The manifesto, Make Trail Olympic, also notes that trail running has been gaining popularity over time. An online petition has garnered more than 900 signatures as of press time. If the movement continues to gain steam, we may be able to watch a truly picturesque trail run through some world-class Californian terrain.
IMPACT Magazine
BOWHEAD CORP
Outdoors For All
Group aims for the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles