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

Skateboarding
Skydiving
Figs . 43a and 43b. A young boy with congenital
lower limb amelia demonstrates his
skill on a skateboard . (Photos courtesy of
George Barksdale and Amputees in Motion)
Skateboarding iaanother recre -
ational option available to the individual
with lower limb amputation
and other impairments.
For the young person with bilateral
limb deficiencies, the skateboard
provideoa recreational outlet
and can be an appealing alternative
to a wheelchair for getting
from one place to another (Figs.
43a and 43b).
For additional information on
skateboarding and other activities
for children, contact:
Adaptive Sports Program
Kinesiotherapy Clinic
University of Toledo
2801 West Bancroft Street
Toledo, OH 43606
(419) 537-2755
American Special Recreation
Association
c/o John Nesbitt, Ed .D.
Recreation Education Program
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 353-2121
. U .S. Amputee Athletic
Association
c/o Richard Bryant
Route 2, County Line Road
Fairview, TN 37062
(615)67U-5453
There are more people with amputation
who are sky divers than
one would expect. Most well
known among them are eight people
from four states who met for
the first time on March 29, 1980
to attempt making the first allamputee
8-way, free-fa!l formation.
Ca!!ingthannue!veo^Piacenof
Eight," the group included two
people with upper limb amputation
and six people with lower
limb amputation . The totul number
of jumps they had done
among them was over 12,000 . The
team made eight attempts, achieving
a maximum formation of seven
people. In making formations it
is difficult for persons with limb
deficiency to compensate for their
assymetry. Eight and a half
months later, the group met again.
The seventh attempt was successful
. Jumping from 15,000 feet,
they held the formation for 4 .66
seconds.
Many sky divers with amputation
prefer not to wear conventional
prostheses during this activity, although
they do use padding to
protect the residual limb when
landing . The disadvantage to not
wearing a prosthesis is some loss
of independence, since the person
with amputation will probably need
help in getting himself and his
equipment back to the launching
area. If so, a companion would
have to be nearby with a pair of
crutches.
One alternative is jumping with
a detachable pylon (Fig. 44) . While
jumping, it can be placed in a wellpadded
pocket in the jumper's skydiving
suit. Then, upon landing,
the pylon is reattached to the socket.
In this way, the skydiver with
amputation can get around the
launching area without assistance
from another person.
One must be 18 years of age (16
years with parental consent) to sky
dive. There are two categories of
jumping : static line and free fall.
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