Paralysed from the chest down by a childhood illness, Jo has no sensation below the neck and no movement below the chest. She has 60% movement in her left arm, a partial amputation of her left hand, full amputation of her left leg and is blind in her right eye. Despite this, she is the best female sitskier Great Britain has ever had.
Jo was paralysed overnight, at the age of 12, by Tranverse Myelitis; an autoimmune disease that attacks the spinal cord and brain. In Jo's case, the damage was irreversible. She spent three years confined to bed, lying on her back; a fact that has created a very stubborn and determined streak in her character. Obstacles are not seen as problems in her mind. She believes that anything can be achieved, if you find a way around it.
"My sitski consists of two metal 'A' frames mounted on a single ski foot. The ski foot fits into a single binding that attaches it to the ski. The seat is moulded fibre glass that has a hinge joint that allows forward movement of my upper body. The specialised fender has been specially designed to give maximum aerodynamics when skiing downhill. The articulated frame works with a shock absorber to smooth the ride over uneven ground. It also maintains constant pressure on the edge of the single ski".
"I currently ski a Praschberger rig that is designed and built in Austria by an ex-paralympic racer. Many World Cup racers choose this design as it offers a compact and tested sitski that delivers results worldwide.
My right outrigger is designed and made by Superlite, but my left rigger has been specially designed by my prosthetists. It consists of a left hand socket, moulded to lower arm. This is bolted onto the outrigger and enables me to, essentially, grip the rigger"
Read Jo's article in the Oct/Nov 08 edition of 'The Piste' magazine (page 6): View Full Article
Take a look at Jo's 'Road To Vancouver' Presentation: View Presentation