Keith Jansz

Focusing on the lemon yellow and golden hues stretching ahead of him, Keith Jansz sketches busily away. The stunning scenery and spectacular light in the far north of Sweden would be enticing for any artist but, for Keith, being able to capture such grandeur marks an enormous personal milestone.

Forty six-year-old Keith has travelled to Åre, Sweden, with the Back-Up Trust as part of a group of skiers with spinal cord injury. Previously an active skier and snowboarder, Keith thought he would never take to the slopes again when – just months after completing the 1995 London Marathon – he was paralysed from the shoulders down following a car accident. After seven months in the spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, Keith returned home to the painful process of adapting to his new situation. Looking back to the despair he felt then about his future, Keith is justifiably elated at his achievements in Sweden, both on and off the slopes.

“We knew it was going to be hard work and great fun, and that’s exactly what it was,” says Keith, who lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife Cindy. “The course was designed to promote independence and some sort of learning by the individual. It was not a holiday; it was about pushing us outside of our comfort zone.”

Keith, whose level of disability is C5-6, is one of six skiers on the trip. They travel with a group of spinal nurses and non-disabled “buddies” who help the skiers with day-to-day practicalities – like getting ready in the mornings, using the hotel hoists and travelling to the slopes. The Back-Up Trust’s Winter Courses, held in France and the USA as well as Sweden, aim to teach first-timers how to ski and to help previous skiers improve their skills. Keith was determined to take part after reading about a group of limb-deficient war veterans who had skied in America after returning from Afghanistan and Iraq. “That very much inspired me, as the scars are not just physical but mental,” says Keith.

Yet as Keith admits, the skiing was the easy part! One of the most daunting challenges of the trip is travelling without Cindy and leaving behind all the familiar comforts of his home routine. “It was unusual to be put in a situation where our partners were not allowed to go, but the likelihood was that we wouldn’t socialize if they had,” explains Keith. “As a result I was as I was before, being self confident and thinking for myself. It was just me and my own personality coming through, which was important for my self-respect.”

Keith admits it took a few days to gel with both his fellow skiers and the buddies. “That sort of experience throws you in at the deep end,” he says. “Normally the people who look after me have been trained, but getting the carers to adapt to my routine did not always work! They came up with other ways to do things so I had to go with the flow.”

A few days into the trip, the group really bond when they are taken to a nightclub to see a live tribute band – at 4pm! “We had some drinks and were greeted by about 260 Swedish teenagers!” remembers Keith. “Swedish girls are more accepting; they came up to talk and were curious about how we were skiing. The guys came up to buy us drinks. It was quite a special place. Then at 6pm they turned the lights on and it was time to go home!”

ON THE SLOPES

As for the skiing itself, a tightly packed schedule left Keith no alternative but to launch into the spirit of the course. “It was go, go, go all the time!” he says. “I was quite a sporty person before and very confident trying new things but here I was so close to the ground for a start, so even the most gentle of slopes seemed quite scary.” At the Totalskidskolan resort in Åre, where Keith went, skiers use ski carts, whereas the courses in France and America are designed for people with lower level disabilities who can therefore use mono-skis. “We were on the blue slopes with the instructors behind with a leash,” says Keith. “They followed us and slowed us down, and made sure we didn’t do anything silly!”

APRÉS SKI

Off-piste, the group face new situations such as travelling in an unfamiliar mini-van between the hotel and the slopes. “We sat on the seats in the van,” says Keith. “It’s a small thing but it’s so important to sit on a seat out of the chair. It was liberating.” Keith particularly enjoys experiencing what he describes as “good changes of thinking,” such as when boarding the plane to fly to Sweden. “On the aircraft I’d usually transfer into an aisle seat,” he says. “This time I was encouraged to get right across to the window seat. I think it’s because I built up all my strength in my shoulders and neck. I do about 15 or 20 minutes of exercise a day with a stretching skipping rope, using my shoulder muscles, and I’m used to being thrown around a lot!”

As a working artist, Keith was able to pay for his own place on the course, freeing up vital Back-Up Trust funds for others not in a position to meet the costs. Keith’s post-accident career has revitalized his outlook on life since those early days of despair. In 1996 Cindy’s mum gave Keith a book called Painters First, a collection of biographies of the Mouth and Foot Painting Artists. Although Keith – who formerly worked in finance – had hardly painted since school, Cindy arranged a meeting with the mouth artist Trevor Wells. Despite disastrous early efforts, Keith persevered and became a student artist with the MFPA. He was accepted as a full member in 2000 and has since exhibited his work in the UK, Lisbon, Madrid, Copenhagen, Shanghai and Atlanta, as well as meeting Prince Charles, Prince Phillip and William Hague. Although Keith didn’t paint in Åre, the sketches he made of the breathtaking views have provided him with unlimited inspiration since his return home.

“I really felt that this time around, being older, I looked at things very differently,” says Keith. “I was looking at the light and the colours and the scenery, and I was more aware of what I was doing. It was such a special thing.”

The Winter Course is something Keith strongly recommends to others in need of a confidence boost. “You are with a whole load of people, all learning something from each other,” he says. “We all have different attitudes. We are the same people as before our accidents but you tend to take the easy option. The trip is about what you can achieve. It was a real team effort; I was responsible for making sure we had all the bits together, such as the cagoules and gloves. A lot of things are done for people in chairs, and people start thinking for us as well, but Back-Up really did push us. There were certain things I couldn’t do but we were encouraged to try – such as holding a sandwich however we could or holding a drink between our palms. Some would work and others wouldn’t and we moved on. These are all good, positive things each individual had to take on board back home.”

Keith adds that he looks back on the trip with great pride. “I pushed myself out of the level of comfort I have at home,” he says. “People just don’t know what they are capable of. Most people are capable of more than they think.”

For more information on Keith and to view some of his paintings, visit www.keithjansz.co.uk.

GETTING THERE

The Winter Course is held at Totalskidskolan, Åre in Sweden. The ski school subsidises places so disabled skiers pay no more than non-disabled skiers.The school also arranges transfers between the airport at Osterund and the Holiday Club hotel, where Keith stayed.

More:
00 46 647 537 77
www.totalskidskolan.se
00 46 647 120 60
www.holidayclub.se

The Back-Up Trust

The Back-Up Trust, established in 1986, is a small, dynamic and professional charity that runs a range of courses and services for people with spinal cord injuries (as well as their friends, family and volunteers), developing confidence, motivation and independence. “The services we run are often life changing,” says chief executive Louise Wright. “Sometimes the course can literally make the difference between life and death, as many people have felt suicidal and a sense of hopelessness when coming to terms with their injury. Challenging misconceptions and providing ongoing support is the key to our success.”

MORE: 020 8875 1805, www.backuptrust.org.uk

New Rights to Fly – What You Need To Know

Under new EC law, (Regulation (EC) 1107/2006), disabled passengers and passengers with reduced mobility have rights to assistance when they fly to and from Europe. As of 26 July 2008, these rights were extended to include the passenger’s journey from start to finish.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission is responsible for providing information and advice about these rights and dealing with any complaints about airlines and airports in England, Scotland and Wales. EHRC have recently published a guide ‘Your Rights to Fly’ which provides a step by step guide for disabled and less mobile passengers. A copy is included in this issue of Able and further copies are available to order from the Commission Helpline on 08456 046 610. You can also visit www.equalityhumanrights.com/airtravel to find out more.

ACCESSIBLE TIPS

By Andy Wright
www.accessibletravel.co.uk

1) Before embarking on a trip of this nature I would recommend putting an exercise program in place to build endurance and strength, this will make a big difference to your experience and you will find it more enjoyable.

2) Generally, you will find the Swedes have exceptional English, far superior than most of our Swedish! Communication should not be a problem when you are arranging transport, ordering in restaurants or asking for help anywhere. It is always good to carry a phrase book with you just in case and learn the basic ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’ and ‘thank you’ as it is always much appreciated! Here’s a crash course

• Hello – God dag
• Goodbye – Adjö
• Thank you – Tack

3) Sweden can be expensive for meals and drinks, but the scenery is stunning and the facilities are excellent.

4) If you are considering a skiing trip in Sweden, I would highly recommend you talk to Back up as they have a wealth of knowledge, can provide you with a checklist to ensure you have everything and have good local contacts.

More:
00 46 647 537 77, www.totalskidskolan.se
00 46 647 120 60, www.holidayclub.se

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