Redline Group, the Permanent & Contract High Technology and
Engineering Recruitment Specialists, are proud to be the main sponsor of the
Outspan Rebels Visually Impaired (VI) Ski Race Team for the third consecutive year.
The Outspan
Rebels are a collective of VI Skiers from across the UK – brought together
to introduce VI skiing onto the able-bodied indoor ski-race circuit, making the
sport more inclusive for VI Skiers.
The Outspan Rebels are from many different clubs around the
UK and each quarter, they join together & train with their Head
Coach, Charlotte Evans MBE, and
2014 Paralympian Gold Medallist. By pooling their resources, they reduce the
costs to access world-class, specialist training for visually impaired skiing
& guiding in the UK.
Martin
Crapper, Redline Managing Director comments: “It has been a real privilege
over the last few years to see the achievements of these amazing skiers. We’ve
been lucky enough to see some of them start from scratch and reach incredible
levels of competence and confidence during our time supporting them. We’re
often invited to watch some of the training sessions, and I’m always left
open-mouthed by the bravery, speed, determination and passion from the skiers
and guides. I’ve occasionally tried to ski with my eyes closed (and been in
some white outs) and I can manage about 3 metres before I panic! Proud and inspired to be involved with the
club and the athletes.”
Jamie Fuller, Founder of the Outspan Rebels comments: “We
are hugely grateful to have Redline Group onboard as headline sponsors for
2019. Outspan is a small club and as
such we find it difficult to attract funding.
Redline have supported us for a number of years & without their
sponsorship we would probably not survive as a club.”
Jamie continues: “Most outdoor sports available to Blind and
VI athletes require them to be attached to a sighted guide. Tandem bikes,
tethered sighted running guide, tethered open water swimmers…. With skiing the
athlete is in control of the speed they are not attached to their guide – the
guide makes a trail of sound for the blind athlete to follow apart from that
the athlete is completely free. Skiing brings VI athletes’ confidence, self-esteem
& inclusion – apart from anything its really good fun.”
Why funding is vital?
“For a VI to ski – the need a guide to be their eyes. The guide’s costs are paid for by the VI –
slope pass – coaching cost – hotels – flights – food – drinks – transfers
etc... Guides are not paid for their time; it is just their expenses that are
covered. In many cases the athletes are
kids or totally blind so a parent or carer will also have to come along and be
on snow to help them with life stuff, using the toilet or eating lunch. So compared to an able-bodied child, that you
could send on their own with a school group or a training camp – a VI may have
3 x times the cost to cover.”
What do we spend the
money on?
“The cost of training – Outspan organise a group of up to 8
VI’s to ski together – we find a suitable ski instructor (they need to be
qualified to the highest level to cope with the disabled). We negotiate a group
rate & take that instructor with us as a dedicated race coach. By removing the coaching cost for the VI it
can bring the cost of the camp down to be similar to an able-bodied athlete
going an away on their own to a camp.
Still expensive, but more realistically affordable.”