Few customers are as compelling as Amy Richardson and the Armed Forces Para Snowsports Team. Like many of our customers, Amy is in the military. But uniquely, her role is dedicated to teaching wounded, injured and sick military personnel and veterans, including amputees and visually impaired (VI) athletes, to ski and snowboard.
Already a fan of SplashMaps, having bought personalised maps for her own use and gifts for family and friends, Amy was enjoying our piste maps when she wrote an email titled, “I want a different sort of map” saying, “I’ve found the Toob that I want but I wondered if it were possible to print a union flag on to a Toob, as if the Toob itself were made from a union flag?”.
Creating a brand-new product concept for her was a pleasure, so we got patriotic and made this. Thus began our work for the Armed Forces Para Snowsports Team.
AFPST is an independent charity who work to help military personnel and veterans come to terms with their physical injuries through the medium of Snowsports. The AFPST Snow Summer, an indoor four-day freestyle event starts their season and has been a fantastic success. As Amy says, “For the first time we have placed two visually impaired riders on the Snow and are leading the way with the world’s first two double-above-knee amputee snowboarders!”
The event has brought together all levels to learn, progress, push back the boundaries and face the challenges as a team. It culminates in a freestyle event on Thursday.
As a charity, they depend upon your generosity. Donate or get involved here.
There’s no doubt that Amy’s work is essential to wellbeing and an inspiration to those who suffer to defend out freedoms.
“Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that you can’t do this or that. That’s nonsense. Make up your mind, you’ll never use crutches or a stick, then have a go at everything. Go to school, join in all the games you can. Go anywhere you want to. But never, never let them persuade you that things are too difficult or impossible.”
― Douglas Bader, double amputee, WW2 Spitfire hero
Amy’s infectious enthusiasm soon had us creating another adaptation on our Toob theme. She’d commissioned one of the athletes to create a new logo for the Snowsports team and wanted this incorporated into a Toob for the first AFPST event of the new season. We delivered 50 of these last week and, according to Amy, “ they have all but gone! The guys love them….I’ve attached a pic if you’d like to use it.”
Amy’s latest posting bases her at Catterick, ‘the home of the Army in the north’. Naturally she has our map of the ranges and training grounds and working together with her, plans are already in the making for piste maps emblazoned with their fabulous new branding.
Look out for exciting new products for snowsports. Who knows what’s coming next? Prepared for the new season? We cover most of the resorts in Europe. Check them out here.
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