Stay active writing competition
Open Door - November 2008 pages 8-9
Last year we invited you to enter our Stay Active competition and tell us about your own experience of sport. Many thanks to everyone who took part in the competition; we had some excellent entries and enjoyed reading them very much.
We are delighted to announce the three winners who have each received a Cool Zone vest, kindly donated by Jackson Technical Solutions.
Argentine tango
Edmund Reed
I have always been interested in Argentine tango music and have tried to learn the bandoneon (a very large 144 note concertina). However, although my wife Rosaleen says I am improving, I think she tells me that because she loves me.
In June 2006 Rosaleen noticed an article in the local paper advertising beginners' classes in Argentine tango, so off we set. We had watched a couple of DVDs and just went to see what it would be like. I walk with the aid of a stick and my balance was pretty poor at that time. We were the only couple to turn up that weekend so we got 100% of the teachers' attention.
They were fantastic and patient. Argentine tango is the traditional tango from Argentina. It is slow and personal. The whole routine is based on eight main steps. When these are mastered, there are many (hundreds) of embellishments that have to be learnt. The music is from the thirties and full of passion. We were sold and to my surprise I didn't fall over, although the next day my legs felt as though I had been walking for miles in thick mud. We kept practicing at home and at our Saturday classes. My balance improved as did my concentration. We were bowled over. Here was something we could do together without me being at a disadvantage. We progressed and in a few months were attending our local monthly milonga (dance).
Everyone was so helpful and when my balance was an issue, gave me little tips to disguise the unintentional swaying. In May 2007 we splashed out on a 10 day tango dancing holiday in Granada, Spain and although we were with intermediate dancers we did very well and the social side was fantastic. Since then we practice in our conservatory every day that I am well enough and attend a tango dance evening every Monday from 8 till 10.
In a nutshell, tango has given me a superb activity; it exercises my body and my mind and allows me to be with ordinary folk who judge me on my dancing, not my illness. There are clubs throughout the UK and I cannot recommend it enough - go on, get started!
Flight path
Leonie Martin
One day last autumn, my wings were clipped by a man in a grey suit. The man was my neurologist. He'd just advised me to, "...hang up my running shoes. Take up a something a little less... risky."
Only the previous week I'd tripped again whilst out running, and the nasty scab on my knee had shouted like a traitor during his examination.
I swung my legs around and stood up; trying to steady myself. But my legs weren't the only thing feeling heavy that day as I drove home from the hospital. Passing a couple of joggers heading for the park, a cold stone sank deep within my stomach. Running had given me a sense of freedom. When each foot left the ground it felt like I was flying.
The following evening I opened my front door to find Janet; my running partner, standing there jangling her car keys. "Get your tracksuit on," she commanded, her blue eyes dancing. She hadn't been surprised at my news the previous day, having witnessed the many spectacular trips I'd succumbed to over recent months.
"Where are we going?" I quizzed her as we sped into town.
"We're going to try something a bit different," she replied, her smiling profile giving nothing away.
We've been coming to Pilates classes for over a year now - and I'm hooked! At the beginning of each session we stand tall, mentally zipping up and locking core muscles deep in our abdomens; sealing the strength inside.
"We're going sailing now," says Jenny, our instructor. From a seated position on our mats we bend our knees and tilt back, lifting our legs high into the air. Our arms become sails as we float into the 'boat' position. I can feel the pull on my stomach muscles as they remember that they do still have a purpose in life. Hypnotic strains of music tinkle gently in the background. I breathe deeply and rhythmically, feeling my whole body stretching and relaxing.
With Pilates, I can sail or fly without even leaving the room. Speed is replaced by control and breathing. Everyone can find their own level. My old wings may have been clipped, but my new ones are just as determined. They will carry me into my future.
Riding pillion
Sally Young
The hardest thing I have had to cope with is not having the energy levels that I used to have - fatigue has completely changed my life. I'm 25; I thought I had years ahead of me before I felt like this! But I have learnt that it's staying active, as well as the rest periods, that help me to maintain my energy levels. It's just a case of finding my new limits.
My visual problems mean I find it hard to see balls and lines and these are pretty important in most sports! I walk and cycle and sometimes I swim. These are good because you can do them at your own pace, but there is one activity for me that's better than all the rest...
The key to staying active is to find something fun to do and for me that is riding on the back of my boyfriend's Yamaha R6 motorbike!
It may not sound like an activity that'll keep you fit but it requires a lot of strength to grip onto the bike with my legs and Andy with my arms, and support my weight around corners and against the pull of acceleration! The fast air streaming past keeps my body temperature cool. The thrill of the freedom I feel riding on a motorbike gets my heart rate up, and the beauty of the countryside rejuvenates my soul! It's almost like flying through the open air and it makes me feel utterly alive!
I may not be able to see reliably enough to take the front seat, but riding pillion on the back of such a powerful and exciting machine is an exhilarating experience. I know I won't be able to do it forever, but my attitude is "I want to do as much as I can while I can!" and I joke to my boyfriend that we can always get one of those big old motorbikes with the armchairs on the back!
Riding on the bike does me the world of good in so many ways - I forget all my concerns, all my problems, all the daily difficulties and just enjoy the ride. What more could I ask for?!
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