The World According to Jimmy...on water skiing

 Hi all its me Jimmy again.
I want to tell you a little about water skiing. This is my third summer on skies. When I was in kindergarten a teacher at my school told my mom about this great organization called Leaps of Faith Disabled Water Ski Club, its the bomb! When I started they gave me a pair of tied skies to teach me how to keep my skies together, because that is the first rule, "skies together" and they put me on the boom. Which is the easiest way to learn how to water ski. The boom is a metal bar with tape on the end for a grip that comes out of the side of the boat. Using a boom keeps you in flat water which is easier to ski on then behind the boat and the wake the boat can make. The second rule is knees in, this allows you to be pulled up into a standing position easier. Even when you are standing up you have to keep your knees bent. Another important rule is to keep your head up and your back straight, and keep your arms straight. If you don't keep your back straight and you bend at the waist you may probably fall down. (falling is kinda fun sometimes) but do you know what is weird every time I do fall and go under the water I don't hold my breath because I am only under the water for a second because of my life jacket. That is another thing you HAVE to wear a life jacket so you don't get hurt.

I enjoy water skiing so much because of the feeling, which is just a super fun feeling. Imagine you are on a roller coaster but you are flat but sometimes you go, ya know, over the wake(or wall of water) and the roller coaster car is open and free, and then when you go back over the wall the roller coaster is encased in this hallway(because you are between the wakes). It also gives me a feeling of freedom because I know when I am out on the water there nothing I can run into. I am able to be free to go back and forth and if there is a time where it may not be safe the boat drive will give me a signal that I have to stay between the wake.

It is also good for blind kids because you don't have to see where you are going because the person who is driving the boat is doing the seeing for us.

See you in the next blog!
byyyyyeeeeeeeeeeee.

Jimmy

     Hi everyone it is Kristi, Jimmy's mom again. This is Jimmy's third summer skiing and it has been the best thing in the world. When the summer comes around he gets so excited to get out on the water and down to the lake to not only ski but to also see all the friends he has made over the years. I am asked all the time are't you scared he is going to get hurt and I tell them all the time that if it was that unsafe he wouldn't be doing it. The people who run this organization are some of the best people I have ever met. They don't only work with the blind but ANYONE with a disability. They know what they are doing. I can honestly say I am never nervous or scared when we are there. I completely trust these people with my child's life. That is probably why I have been so open to allowing Jimmy to ski. It gives him a sense of accomplishment with every new task he finishes. There are not many summer activities for the blind, except of course for Camp Abilities, that he can do. The way Jimmy got involved was a teacher at his school is a volunteer with the club and suggested it to me. I got in contact with the guy who runs the club and said we can just try. Luckily Jimmy fell in love with it immediately. They have been patient with him, thoughtful and just down right nice. They give him the directions he needs to really learn how to do this great sport. They make sure that they have enough volunteers who have all been trained how to work with the disabled, and really teach the skiers how to ski. It amazes me every year how the club is getting bigger and bigger and how many people truly appreciate what all these people to so that and person who wants to try gets a chance. If we didn't have an opportunity to do this I don't know I would do with Jimmy on some Saturdays. The club does have a few Saturdays a summer for a open clinic that you have to sign up for and get to have a few times to get out on the water, but you also have the opportunity to meet other people and their stories.


I hope everyone is having an excellent summer!!! Talk again soon.