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Learning how to learn

The Luetchfords

Jan 6, 2020
9 min

Learning how to learn

As an accidental athlete who discovered sport in my thirties, I’ve had to fast track the learning process to maximise the progress I can make in the time I have available. Here I share my strategies and techniques to help you do the same. After my husband and I married each other in our late twenties, my husband was diagnosed as being severely sight impaired and therefore disabled. We’ve since started ski racing together (me as his ski guide), and together we have ski raced f

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What happens when the International Paralympic Committee takes away your race licence

The Luetchfords

Jan 6, 2020
8 min

What happens when the International Paralympic Committee takes away your race licence

I wish I didn’t know about this. I truly don’t. But unfortunately, last November, the seemingly impossible happened. The International Paralympic Committee stripped my severely sight impaired husband (the new term for technically ‘blind’ in the UK) of his para alpine ski racing licence, stating that he could suddenly ‘see’ too well. I’m not going to go into the reasons here as to why this is wrong; why the test was not indicative of his sight; why this is outrageously incorre

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The Luetchfords

Apr 12, 2019
7 min

Reflections on a season

As a guide for severely sight impaired James Luetchford, I ski in front and guide James down Slalom, Giant Slalom and Super-G alpine races. You can find out more at www.luetchfordskiracers.com Going independent. What a scary proposition! It was March 2018, and James had just finished his 2017/18 winter season ski racing for Great Britain as part of the British Parasnowsport Development Team. While there had been benefits whilst being with the team - and he and I both had lear

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The Luetchfords

Feb 26, 2019
7 min

A visually impaired ski racers’ kit list

James and Alice Luetchford ski race for Great Britain. James is severely sight impaired, and Alice is his ski guide (and wife). Together they train and race in Europe and are working towards the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. As newer ski racers, we understand how daunting the ski racing world can be. There are so many options for racing equipment and everyone has an opinion about what to use. The following is a list of the kit we currently use because, well, we just t

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The Luetchfords

Feb 25, 2019
11 min

What do you say to a visually impaired ski racer?

Visually impaired ski racers are classified by the International Paralympic Committee according to their level of sight impairment. The following is how Alice Luetchford guides James Luetchford, a B2 visually impaired ski racer (the middle level of disability) in their Slalom and Giant Slalom Para Alpine ski races for Great Britain. James and I started ski racing together in November 2016. I ski in front of James, leading him down the race course both verbally and with him fo

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The Luetchfords

Feb 3, 2019
4 min

Disabled ski racing: how it works

Many people ask how the para alpine ski races work. To be honest, until a couple of years ago I had no idea myself! The following is a beginner’s guide to the para alpine racing world, with no previous experience necessary. Racers who compete in World Para Alpine Ski races have to undergo a rigorous classification process by the International Paralympic Committee. There are three types of skiers; visually impaired; standing and sitting. Visually impaired skiers must ski with

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