Cameron might hold the title of Masterchef but the ski boots on the other foot today.
I wouldn’t have a clue how skiing is going to go, I’ve never done it before and I’m
definitely not saying I can handle it easy.
They’re hitting the slopes – Ivan’s domain.
Morning.
Morning. Are you all set?
They’re skiing at Cardrona south of Wanaka. Ivan knows the slopes and conditions well,
he’s skied here for ten years.
Not very nice but by the looks of those patches it could clear up.
Are you excited to be on the snow for the first time?
Yeah, hard work to walk in this actually.
Yeah well once you’re on the ski you’ll be fine, the skis slide over it so you’ll
be all right.
Right so grab the skis down first and next we’ll do hand things.
Ivan has grown used to telling others what to do and just how he like things.
Do that one first. Make sure it’s straight.
Cameron’s upper body is strong so the instructors try him on a mono ski rather than the more
stable bi ski.
This is the basics of what you’re going to be skiing in which is a mono ski. Have
you ever seen anyone ski on one before?
Just on TV.
You’ve kind of got a huge amount of freedom so that’s sort of the end point, along the
way a bit of learning the lifts and just skiing around the mountain just the same as everyone
else.
So you get pretty much people with disabilities up and running on snow just the same as any
able-bodied person?
Yeah exactly.
With no hands they improvise on how to grip the outriggers.
I feel pretty comfortable anyway, I feel…
Mr Confident spoke too soon.
Maybe not so comfortable!
I thought I felt more steady but I think I need my little support rail on the side I
think.
Hey Cameron, how’s it going man?
Not too bad. Already had one fall and haven’t even gone anywhere.
Well you’re going to go up on the learners slope soon aye?
Yeah hopefully.
You’ll enjoy it once you get going.
Any advice for me?
Just take it easy aye. Have a good day aye.
I’m worried about falling over and losing a pole and then I can’t get back up. I guess
I’m kind of worried about sucking at it actually; I want to do a good job.
How do you move?
He’s a gold medalist who represented his country in swimming and wheelchair rugby but
here he’s just a novice.
When Ross first pushed me up the hill I was thinking geez am I ever going to make it,
I know it was a tiny tiny small hill but it was just like “I’m going to fall over
right now aren’t I” but I seem to trust him, I seem to be safe with him there because
he knew what he was doing and he’s done it before.
Cameron’s a curious sight but he doesn’t care.
Now you get to work out how you get up.
A confident skier Ivan simply fits in here.
It’s great, I just love it down here, it’s another sense of freedom I get. When I’m
up skiing it builds my confidence just so much.
Back in Wanaka the boys grab a handicam and head off without the crew to shoot a kind
of truth or dare interview with each other.
OK I’m just going to ask Ivan a few questions here, a bit of boys time to get to know each
other a bit better, ask a couple of hard questions.
So I guess man I see you on the mountain today and you are obviously pretty descent at skiing
and you’ve been doing it for quite a while which I didn’t know before I came down here.
How important is it to you to be independent on the mountain and be kind of rocking it
with everyone else.
Independence on the mountain is something I love, it gives me a sense of freedom and
I’m not being helped by anyone, I’m out there alone doing something myself.
Just 24 hours with Cameron has given Ivan fresh optimism.
So you enjoyed today?
I really enjoyed today, except for the weather, the weather was a bit choppy but today was
really really enjoyable.
Well I guess this is the me getting all deep and meaningful but for one day when you become
fully independent and don’t need anyone to help you with anything I bet ya that’s
how you’re going to be as well.
OK so it’s my turn to ask the questions now man… so what got you into swimming?
Swimming? I guess I jumped in the water and I felt free, the same as you do on the mountain.
I felt free and when you see someone swimming up and down the pool you can’t tell I’m
actually different to anyone else.
It was great to have someone to share with; I don’t actually have someone who has a
disability like Cameron or myself around me most of the time.
Cameron’s heard Ivan can’t dress himself and reckons it’s time he learnt.
I’m thinking like this, I’m thinking…
And slipping arms into it.
Put your gammy arm in first because you can then at least direct your other arm into the
hole a little bit.
Their disabilities bring different challenges.
To have someone there like Cameron to share those kinds of things it’s really special
because he understands what you’re going through and you understand what he’s going
through so you’re really on a level playing field when you’re talking about the stuff
that you’re going through.
It’s difficult to get it past that position there.
I’m thinking a higher chair would probably make it easier. What if I hold it here?
It’s not even if it was raised higher, it’s that my arm is so bent….
Ivan’s just accepted that he needs help dressing, he doesn’t believe he can do it
himself but he’s willing to try.
If you got some kind of brace system set up on the wall that held the sleeve and the jacket
at the right angles for you to be able to kind of move your arms in…. if we cheated
a little bit…. Maybe go to your parents wardrobe and just mangle all their coathangers
to try and make yourself some sort of…
Eventually Ivan surprises himself.
I can get to there and that is close.
Maybe that’s a new style man!
One arm in and one arm out.
It’s worth going away and thinking about.
Probably one of the hardest things from the skiing experience has been hopping into the
sit ski and putting the outriggers on. I couldn’t do anything to help and was reliant on the
helpers. I was thinking about Ivan and thinking about how he gets that sort of help every
day, I was frustrated enough just them helping me put on a couple of outriggers let alone
helping me get changed and things like that.
I think Adaptive Snow Sports have done a very good job in setting me up with two fine young
ladies here.
So how’s it going man?
Good I think, starting to get the hang of it.
All right, let’s get into it.
The girls lent Cameron a hand and he gets their phone number – very smooth.
Just lately my friends have been getting girlfriends and going to parties and stuff and driving
in their own cars and one of my concerns, I know it will happen but it’s just whether
I’ll ever meet a girl or not.
I remember when I was at high school and I was about 14 or 15 and I was just hitting
NCEA level and it was probably one of the harder times of living with a disability because
all my friends were off getting girlfriends and things like that and I felt a bit behind
the eight ball and all the while that was going on there was a big mental change in
me, it was kind of … well I suppose I grew up a lot more and learnt to take a step back
and look at situations and look at what was happening.
I know there’s a girl out there for me, it’s just hard being a 17 year old really
I think.
Every day Cam and Ivan come across people who don’t know how to react to them, they’re
always working to make others feel comfortable.
I don’t know if it’s an issue but it’s something I’ve always noticed that people
feel strange in shaking my hand back. Did you think at all how am I going to shake his
hand because he doesn’t actually have one?
Definitely, I mean I didn’t know anything about you so I didn’t know what I was going
to come across and I think that’s what pretty much everyone you meet feels when they’re
meeting me or you or someone like us with a disability.
I find it interesting when I’m in a night club or whatever and you meet up with your
friend and they say “oh this is my friend such and such” and sometimes if it’s a
girl shaking a girls hand… it’s not really…You do it sometimes but I’m more inclined to
say “oh I’ve got gammy hands” or whatever…. I find it breaks that touch barrier as well
yet it still shows you as quite a nice warm person as well – embracing.
Do you get the same as what I do – I get this…Like when I’m out in public I tend
to sometimes notice or pick up when people are looking, do you ever get that?
I think it’s something you get.
I guess it kind of comes with the territory, I find parents reactions also another golden
one.
Definitely parents reactions and how they stop their kids from staring…
I’ve had the parents grab the kid and stop them walking in front of me. Far out I’m
not going to turn into a megatron and step on top of you.
I understand curiosity especially with unique disabilities like you and I, it’s interesting
which is cool by me.
It’s not like they’ve put the world to rights but hanging out with Cameron has given
Ivan a boost.
I think at the moment I’m on a stepping stone and I think I need to go a lot further
before I become truly independent and live in my own place and get around and make my
own food and stuff like that but I’m not afraid of those stepping stones that are ahead,
I think becoming independent will probably be one of the best things that will happen
to me and so I’m just keen for it to happen as soon as possible really.