Fall 2019 - Inside Outdoor Magazine

Inside Outdoor | FALL 2019 18 ing independence at a level where peo- ple can participate is what we should be doing in the adaptive industry.” HOW RETAILERS CAN ADAPT Outdoor retailers would be wise to warm up to the adaptive community, es- pecially when considering the sheer size of the market. Almost 50 million people (more than 19 percent) of the U.S. popu- lation has a disability, while about 24.1 million have a severe disability, accord- ing to U.S. Census figures. According to Adaptive Adventures executive director Chelsea Elder, the outdoor industry should strive to keep adaptive athletes in mind in marketing and messaging. This can go a long way in helping people with physical disabili- ties overcome advocacy challenges. “One of the challenges we face on a daily basis is helping an individual with a physical disability to identify themselves as ‘an athlete,’ either for the first time ever or post-injury,” Elder explained. “Every day our role is to help make the perceived impossible become possible through outdoor sports. This can be a challenge when an individual with a physical disability has not had exposure to or knowledge of adaptive sports.” The word ‘adaptive’ could trip in- dividuals up from the beginning, said Edler. “How would one know to search for ‘adaptive’ sport opportunities? Nearly every day I meet an individual that will tell me they didn’t know it was possible for them to cycle, ski or paddle again,” she continued. Elder gave an example of Craig DeMartino, who is national climb- ing manager at Adaptive Adventures. DeMartino is an amputee and a brand ambassador for several outdoor brands. “People reach out to us all of the time based upon marketing and messaging, including Craig, to learn more about Adaptive Adventures and how they can get involved in building more opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities to participate in outdoor sports,” Elder continued. “The more ‘normal’ and mainstream we can make it for an individual with a spinal cord injury or amputation or any other IFSC HOLDS PARACLIMBING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) recently held its annual Paraclimbing World Championship, July 16 and 17 at the Parc des Sport in Briançon, France. This year’s event saw a record number of participants turn up. On the first day, Sho Aita (Japan) earned a first-place victory in the B2 men’s visual impairment event, while Cosmin Florin Candoi (Romania) won the B3 category. Then, Thierry Delarue (France) captured his second title for the men’s leg amputee category (AL-2). Matthew Phillips (Great Britain) won the men’s amputee forearm category (AU- 2), while Romain Pagnoux (France) won the men’s RP3 route. The day concluded with leg amputee Lucie Jarrige (France) winning the women’s AL-2 contest. On the second day, Abigail Robinson (Great Britain) won the women’s B2 visual impairment event. Koichiro Kobayashi (Japan) secured a victory in the men’s B1 category. This was followed by the men’s and women’s limited range, power and stability categories. Bastien Thomas (France) earned a first- place finish for the men’s RP1 event, while Hannah Baldwin (Great Britain) won the women’s RP2. The IFSCWorld Championship concluded when Behnam Khalaji (Iran) took home a first-place finish in the men’s RP2 category. Angle Oar’s Versa paddle opens kayaking to people without the strength to paddle due to injury, ability, health condition or age. Athletes compete at the 2019 Paraclimbing World Championship; photo courtesy the International Sport Climbing Federation