Sports and Recreation for Those with Lower Limb Amputation or ...

Boafng
Bowling
Fig . 9. The Challenger, a trimaran suitable for use by the disabled . ;Photo courtesy of
Cheeseman, Rollo, and Co .)
More information about the trimaran
is available from the builder:
Cheeseman Biffins Boat Yard,
Staines Bridge, Staines, Middlesex,
Eng!andTVY183ON.
Safety standards in sailing must
be stringent. All safety equipment
should be readily accessible with
its location known by everyone on
board . Though the possibility of
obstacles is an omnipresent one
to the person with, and without,
disability, this concern has not deterred
many sailors including
those with lower limb amputation.
For more information on general
boating, contact:
- Bunny Johns, Head of
Instruction
Nantahala Outdoor Center
Box 41/U .S. 19 West
Bryson City, NC 28713
(7O4)488-2175
- Mission Bay Aquatic Center
c/o Tod Bittner
1001 Santa Clara Point
San Diego, CA 82101
(619)488'1036
- Water Safety and Boating
Program for the Disabled
Parks and Recreation Office
Sailboat House
1520 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, CA 94612
(415) 273-3091
In addition, relevant literature
on boating includes the following:
° Boating for the Handicapped/
Guidelines for the Physically
Disabled by Eugene Hedley,
Ph .D., 7878. (To obtain a
copy, write to the Research
and Utilization Institute of
the Human Resources
Center, Albertsen, NY 11507)
• Boating World Unlimited
(This magazine can be
obtained by contacting
Handicapped Boaters
Assoc., NY)
°/1n Introduction to Kayaking:
for Persons with Disabilities
by John H . Galland.
(Available from Vinland
National Center, 3675
lhduhapi Road, Box 308,
Loretto, MN 55357)
The person with an amputation
who is able to walk can probably
bowl, too. Learning to bowl takes
time and effort, especially in learning
to maintain balance. Muscles
and joints undergo changes in
adapting to the new motions associated
with the game . Beginning
bowlers may experience hand
swelling and arm and shoulder
discomfort, but as the flexibility
and strength needed for the game
are acquired through regular activity
and practice, these minor
problems usually work themselves
out.
The individual with amputation
can either bowl from a stationary
position at the foul line or use a
two- to four-step approach, with
the steps generally short and the
feet fairly wide apart . Some bowlers
with amputation tend to turn
the left foot at a right angle to the
line of approach when releasing
the ball, thereby shifting swing
and follow-through far to the right.
Others encounter difficulty in
achieving a smooth approach,
with the first two steps too fast, an
abrupt stop at the foul line, and an
uneven backswing . A right-handed
bowler who has a right leg
prosthesis can slide to the foul line
on his or her left leg and release
the ball in the usual manner. A
right-handed person with a left leg
prosthesis may prefer to stand
with the feet together about a
meter, or 1 yard, behind the foul
line and swing the ball backward
while leaning forward to aid advancement
of the prosthesis and
the ball, which is then bowled.
These problems can be resolved
with practice. Some people with
right leg prostheses prefer to bowl
off the left leg.
There are physical benefits to
bowling . The exercise helps to
build muscle tone, aid cardiovascular
circulation, maintain hand/
eye coordination, and offer an
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