Back On Snow!

The first 2 weeks in Austria has flown by, I'm loving being back on snow, training with GB teammates and the Combined Services Disabled Ski Team again.


Team dynamics have changed as we are working with new coaches from Canada, Rip and Sue and I'm confident they will lead us to medals in Sochi 2014. Three older athletes have retired, but its fun to be training alongside Tim Farr and Kelly Gallagher again as well as the military guys and new visually impaired athlete Jade Etherington.


Thanks to CSDST and their military connections (in Blue) for a moving Remembrance Day 'service' at the top of the mountain.


Snow conditions on Stubai glacier suit training but there isn't any snow in the valley. It is very strange to be enjoying the sunshine, and apart from day cancelled due to wind, training is going well.


Our Strength and Conditioning coach, Nick Ward, spent the last week with us and gym training is paying off. Swiss ball rugby turned out to be quite a perilous recovery exercise - click on 'Back on Snow' for video link. As a team, we are fit and ready to compete (and have a good laugh!). Nobody was injured in the making of this video.


This season I aim to continue to win Europa Cup podiums and become World Cup qualified. Three weeks until the first Europa Cup Race!

Skiing Funding Crisis

Photo by George Althaus www.georgegamedia.com

Two weeks 'til I'm back on snow, training for the Europa Cup Races in December! Can't wait although almost all funding for skiing has been cut and the funding I was hoping for hasn't materialised. I have enough money to last until Christmas but if I'm to continue ski racing I need to raise another £10,000 in the next 2 months.

At the highly informative DKH Negotiating Skills workshop last week, I learned lots of skills which should come in useful for negotiating sponsorship deals but it isn't easy.

At the beginning of the week the team met up at Bath University for our pre-season camp. It was good to catch up with the British Disabled Ski Team and Development Squad. Great training as always with Nick Ward and Team Bath coaches, as well as fitness, strength and body composition testing.

Now I just need to find the money to get out there, put in the training on snow and win more medals! Please let me know if you have any suggestions or can help.

Sporting Champions Training for Sportivate

I had another great training day last week with lots of 'Sporting Champions' for 'Sportivate', a Sport England funded programme designed to fulfil the London 2012 Legacy to inspire and motivate young people (14 to 24 year olds) to enjoy competitive sport. The ultimate goal is to encourage people to join local clubs.

Sportivate provides the opportunity for young people to try new sports and come face to face with Sporting Champions through coaching sessions. I am looking forward to working with Coventry, Solihull and Warwickshire Sports Partnership on Sportivate.

The training was lively and educational - everytime I go to a Sporting Champions training day I come out with heaps of educational games to store up my sleeve, you never know when you might need them! The trainers are brilliant and apparently we were a great group to train too!

Click on title to see my video clip!

Witney NCS raise £489 for Local Hospital

16 year olds from Witney National Citizens Service near Oxford organised a hugely successful fundraiser for Witney Hospital yesterday.


Everyone wore fancy dress to encourage locals to try their luck in the tombola, enjoy the face painting and crafts table, pin the tail on the donkey and be tempted by tea and cakes made by participants in the local scout hut.


We also enjoyed collecting in the town centre and a whopping £489 was raised, great effort!


The group of young people chose their community project themselves and have spent the last few weeks focussing their energy on making it work. As well as raising money, they will spend next week volunteering in the hospital.

Witney NCS Community Residential

Yesterday I joined Olympic Swimmer, Adam Whitehead at the Witney (Oxfordshire) National Citizens Service, Community Residential.


This part of the NCS is all about the young people getting stuck in, learning about teamwork and starting to think about how they can best support the local community with their Community Project.

We started the day with a drumming workshop. I am not an accomplished or confident musician, in fact I am not a musician at all and the thought of playing an instrument in front of anyone is daunting for me, but the workshop was more fun than I could have imagined and parallels to our role in society were cleverly drawn upon by the instructor.























The tents were all packed up, workshops on planning and teamwork, logo design and teeshirt painting were given.

Next week the 16 year old school leavers will get together and organise meetings to decide on and plan their Community Project. Hopefully we have given them the resources to make it happen!

I have had so much fun representing DKH Legacy Trust working on the National Citizens Service, and working with the same group and seeing their development gives me real pleasure. I can't wait to get involved with their Community Project.

Wolverhampton NCS Community Project

Wolverhampton National Citizens Service Summer of a Lifetime team change the lives of residents at Accord Housing residential care home in Tipton, building a raised flowerbed and painting the garden shed.

The team of young people from Wolverhampton started the NCS earlier this summer, spending a week together at Kinver scout camp, the next week finding out about the local community whilst staying at Wolverhampton College, learning skills and being inspired by local athletes. Tomorrow their Community Project, for which they have fundraised themselves, will be finished.

It was a pleasure to see the team getting stuck into the gardening job and chatting with residents. The team has worked together to make this project happen, a summer well spent, great job!

Oxford NCS Residential - from archery to rafting

A week long residential with a dozen teenagers in the depths of the New Forest - what could be more fun?!

Last week I found my self at the Avon Tyrrell Activity Centre, representing the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust as an athlete supporting the Oxford National Citizens Service. Most of the 16 to 24 year old school leavers have grown up in care and my job was to motivate them all to get involved with various activities and work as a team. I really wasn't sure what to expect!

I started with a brief introduction, mentioning that I'd competed in the Vancouver Paralympics, 4 years after waking up one day to be told I would never walk again after breaking my back snowboarding. Life is all about choices and if we strive to achieve goals, we give ourselves the chance of achieving them. I have been supported by an enormous amount of love and encouragement and I have no idea how I would have coped without that. A number of young people have not been so fortunate.


The first activity was archery, not my forte. Perhaps the participants gained confidence from my spectacular lack of ability although I did eventually hit the target! Then we got in canoes. Luckily I shared a boat with Tilly, one of the few participants who didn't want to capsize, but we still got drenched! Kayaking was a bit more technical and also great fun and the sun was out so we soon got dry.

A refreshing swim in the pool was followed by some raft building which were tested on the lake. The Activity Centre is wonderful and the activities were thoroughly enjoyable because all participants and volunteers got stuck in and had a go. The Oxford group proved a really nice team to work with and I look forward to getting involved with their community residential this week.

I am in the middle, precariously balanced on the raft whilst safely remaining on dry land!

Tower Hamlets Project - PAYP paralympic sports Day

Zoe Ward and her team (DiJe and Tahmina) put on a really fantastic community event yesterday at Mile End Stadium, East London. Over 140 people turned up to compete in various athletics events, from boccia, adaptive shot-put to 100m sprint and 4person team relay.

Darren Harris (former Paralympic Judo player and 2012 Goalball hopeful) and I represented the DKH Legacy Trust, encouraging participants and having the honor of presenting medals. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and brilliantly organized day.

The atmosphere was relaxed and inclusive, I was impressed at the numbers of participants am sure that everyone enjoyed the event. I even had my hand painted with henna and had a go at adaptive golf (not as easy as it sounds)!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Young Leaders never cease to amaze me with their maturity, effort and organizational skills! What a great team, supported by Simon Stevens from V, well done 2012 Young Leaders!

Community Project Unveiled by Young Leaders

The Young Leaders on the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust London 2012 Young Leaders Programme have been busy in the community, and I had the privilege of attending the unveiling of the Greenwich group's impressive Olympic Mural.

The project was led by Matt Hutchings and supported by the rest of the Greenwich team: Brandylene Forsom, Tolu Odusanya, Nikki Oduwunmi and a few volunteers.

The large, stunning, Olympic themed design, was painted on the mural and then the Young Leaders and Olympic Badminton star, Donna Kellogg, took it around primary schools on foot, engaging numerous local children in decorating the painting on London 2012.

Friends, family, teachers and volunteers came to support the unveiling of the spectacular mural and I spoke about the effect on the community of this project and the development I have seen in the Young Leaders. They have done a brilliant first community project and I look forward to the next projects (Including an Olympic themed photography show and 40m community run).

It is great to see the effort these young people are putting in, the results are spectacular, it goes to show that you can do anything if you set your mind to it.

NCS Community Residential ...to plan...to believe...to succeed!

16 year old school leavers participating in the National Citizens Service, complete the 'Community Residential' of their Summer of a Lifetime today.


This third phase of the project involved another week away from home, getting out and helping in the community, from helping out in an Old People's Home to the Fire Service.


I spent the evening, focusing on overcoming challenges and getting involved with evening teamwork activities. We had loads of fun and I was really buzzing as I drove home!


Olympic high jumper, Brendan Reilly, also got involved through the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust. Brendan did a 20 minute talk at the beginning about Dream Goals....to plan...to believe...to succeed. They had a go at a few machines, and did a medicine ball throwing competition which went down well.


This week the young people have had a taste of working in the community and chosen and project to design and implement over the next month.


Since starting the project I have noticed a monumental change in confidence, self-belief and group dynamics, a quarter of the young people have enrolled in college courses. Brendan also spotted a couple of good athletes and is facilitating try out sessions for them in athletics.


The message at Deloitte sponsored CBI West Midlands Summer Banquet, fundraising for Local Disability Sport, was reducing inequality through education. I had the pleasure of hearing World Champion, David Moorcroft speak as well as CBI Director General, John Gridland who highlighted the worsening and educational inequalities in the UK.

Schemes like the NCS and Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust, striving to create life chances for young people, make a real difference and I am very pleased to be involved.

Everyone deserves a shot at success.

Summer of a Lifetime has Started!

A team of 16 year old school leavers from Wolverhampton have just completed the first week of the National Citizens Service, Summer of a Lifetime.


They have just finished an action packed week at Kinver Scout Hutt, near Kidderminster, where they learned all sorts of skills including making shelters, cooking, orienteering, problem solving, leadership and teamwork.


Ten days ago, at the induction day, myself and Irish hurdler, Peter Shallow gave a presentation and helped engage the young people with various activities from designing and creating a team flag to playing football. There was a remarkable change in the confidence and group dynamics throughout the day.


Today they have started the week long 'Community Residential phase' and tomorrow I shall appear as VIP guest, give a talk, question and answer session and to be fed by the young people - eek! I can't wait to get involved again and see the progress they have made so far.


As Midlands Team Leader, I am working alongside elite athletes and v to help 'create chances for young people' and finding it hugely rewarding.


11,000 young people across the UK have the chance to get involved and it really is a great opportunity and will benefit all participants and local communities.

Over £2500 raised for Charity as Luke and Dave Reach John O'Groats!

Thank you so much to Luke and Dave for their epic cycling and to everyone who has supported them along the way.

Luke's said about the journey:
"In the end we took a really lovely route taking in some great spots like Arran, the Mull of Kintyre and the Black Isle and stopping for the wonderful hospitality of various folks and taking a lot of small roads to avoid the busy ones. Despite all that our mileage has not been significantly more than others. I think 870 is the minimum but most take nearer 1000. We took 980. It all worked out swimmingly despite no real planning. And the weather has been on our side nearly all the way, which makes a massive difference of course...
Time for a beer!"













Dave and Luke left Land's End 12 days ago...












And with some careful planning (after setting off)...
















Stunning scenery...
















Only one puncture...


...They have reached John O'Groats!

This amazing challenge and adventure has so far raised £685 for Spinal Research and £1850 for DSUK which will help sponsor sister Anna’s ski racing.

“Thanks all for your amazing support!





Tuesday's diary:
"Cracking day today. Sunny all day. Knocked off 20 Quick miles up to Loch Ness then a nice little climb and long descent to Beauly. After that we had another 20 sunny miles cycling the length of the Black Isle. A great lunch at Cromarty while we waited for the ferry, which we missed but which came back in to pick us up (we were the only passengers) then mostly the busyish A9 to finish along the coast.

"92 Miles in the end bringing is to 980 in total, although my speedo broke yesterday so I'm stuck on 797 miles!”

Luke Turney and Dave Bosomworth reached John O'Groats at 3 o'clock today, in 12 days.

Brother Luke and Dave, you are amazing! Thank you guys so much! I wish I could've joined you but it would take some heavy training for me.

Alan Cook is currently the first handcyclist en route from John O'Groats to Land's End. Good Luck Alan! see http://www.justgiving.com/AlanCookRAB for more info.

Video footage from Scotland

Lovely morning crossing Arran first thing to catch a 9:30 ferry.


More of the same to Tarbert on the Mull of Kintyre for 1st lunch (pic). Spent the rest of the day crisscrossing the Mull of Kintyre to Oban (inc 2nd lunch).


Amazing countryside and good weather too - and a great ad for beautiful Scotland! About 80 miles done today.



Thank you so much to everyone who has donated to the charities. Luke and Dave are cracking on despite saving the hills for the end!

Dave and Luke have reached Scotland!

After a week of cycling from the depths of Cornwall, Luke Turney and Dave Bosomworth have finally reached Scotland, raising a staggering £730 for Disability Snowsport UK to support sister Anna's Alpine Ski Racing career.


"Wow, its stunning up here! Just got to New Galloway for a bowl of soup. Best bit of road yet, fast, empty, sunny and just hilly enough for the scenery to be lovely!"

Luke and Dave are keen mountain bikers at heart, and only decided to take on this challenge last week.


They are working together to minimise wind resistance and trying to go 20 miles without stopping, but as Luke says, it's not a race!


The ride from Kendal to Dumfries was a challenging one and with surroundings like these it is important to take it all in, pick and choose when to stop or take the scenic route.

"Up in the hills of Dumfries and Galloway, cracking!"

They are now on their way to the Isle of Arran.



Apparently the biscuits are good up there!







Route planning!

Half Way! Luke and Dave Fundraising for Spinal Research and Disability Snowsport UK

Luke and Dave make excellent progress up the UK on their bikes... thanks to everyone for your support.

"Finally got to B&B in Kendal. Another 92 miles under the belt, and its getting hillier and harder!

Excellent route today (Thursday) thanks to Fletch's advice about skirting around both major hills and the busiest roads, which is no mean feat, between Manchester and Liverpool and up into east Lancashire."

Half way - assuming it's 1000 total!

Many thanks for your support, your generosity has blown me away. So far the boys have raised a whopping £580 towards next season's ski racing - which will cover a large chunk of pre season training to set me up for the November Europa Cup races - can't wait to get back on snow!

Luke and Dave are also fundraising for Spinal Research who appreciate your support - who knows what the scientists might discover?!




Fletch, thanks for putting the boys up in Knutsford! I still have the lucky fossil you gave me after my accident - and its kept me safe so far, although not always upright.

Keep an eye on the blog for updates!

Luke and Dave Hit the North!

After cycling 110 long miles - further than ever before - from Bristol to Shrewsbury, the boys certainly appreciated cousin Joanna's warm welcome.


I joined the team in Shrewsbury where we enjoyed a 'recovery swim' with Isabelle and Frank, a delicious supper and comfy bed, and a celebratory glass of bubbly!


Dave's bike was fixed (aka bent back into shape) and cousin Sarah joined us for a coffee before the boys headed out in the rain for a 'gentle 60' to Knutsford.


Latest news from Luke and Dave:


"In the industrial North! Crossed the Manchester Ship Canal and Mersey this morning. Now in Preston for lunch. Hopefully quickly to Lancaster after lunch then a climb to Kendal to finish."




Sadly Vanessa could not get time off work to join in the fun - you are missed V! xx



Thank you SO MUCH to all supporters for your generosity and interest! I cannot believe how much they have raised - it will be a huge help to me. I am enjoying being back and working hard in the gym in preparation for winning medals next winter... and onto the Sochi Paralympics!











I saw this sign in the Museum of Iron, Ironbridge, where I had a meeting (and tour) regarding a talk I'm doing for charity up there next month, and thought it rather apt!

85 miles today but easy riding!

Luke's latest update:
Progress good. Got to Bristol 6:30pm over the suspension bridge. Hot sun all afternoon through the Somerset Levels and then Cheddar/Mendips.

Did get forced to ride through a drain on the A38 by some mental old lady who gave me no space and so my lock got thrown out of my bag and run over by a van, but it still just about works.

And ate far too much lunch again, making me slow in the afternoon! Now being looked after far too well by an old work mate and looking forward to a big sleep before tomorrow's 110 miles. Today was 85 but easy riding. Need an early start and some intelligent route planning...

Likely to put on weight if this hospitality continues - Vanessa fed us a roast dinner last night!

Only 733 Miles to go!

Luke and Dave have now left Exeter and aim to reach Bristol tonight (over 80 miles), then Shrewsbury tomorrow night (110 miles).












They are loaded up...

...and equipped with bottom saving cream!



























Luke and Dave are fundraising for both Spinal Research and my ski race training. Thank you so much to everyone who has donated, shown an interest and is putting them up en route.

They have raised £220 so far! To donate, click on the title, thank you!

Onwards and upwards boys, only about 733 miles to go before you reach John O'Groats!

I shall be updating the blog with their progress so do keep an eye on it!

Courageous Cyclists make it to Exeter

Brother Luke and friend Dave have covered 130 miles in the last two days, making it from Land's End to Exeter, en route across Britain on an epic journey to John O'Groats.

They are fundraising to help enable me to continue training, on my quest for gold in the 2014 Paralympics, and also for Spinal Research. Click on the title to donate.

Thanks boys, you're doing a fine job! I aim to join them on Tuesday night in Shrewsbury where we'll stay with cousin Joanna and Robin. The intrepid cyclists will have to cycle 110 miles to reach us - no mean feat!

Good luck fellas, peddle hard!

Land's End to John O'Groats

When speaking to my brother Luke last week, he mentioned that he had some time off and thought he might cycle the length of Britain, the next week. He is pretty extreme so I wasn't really surprised. Luckily his equally fit friend, Dave Bosomworth is joining him. They are already en route from Land's End to John O'Groats!

Due to funding cuts, I am struggling to continue to fund ski racing, so you can donate to help raise the £20,000 I'm trying to raise to continue with race training next season and for Spinal Research!

Click on the title to donate or see http://www.justgiving.com/Luke-Turney-LandsEnd

Since breaking my back in 2006 my family and friends have given me so much support and made my rehab and skiing career possible. I will do everything I can to win gold in Sochi 2014!

Thanks so much Lukey, you are amazing! Also thank you to Vanessa for getting them to Land's End, to cousin Joanna and Robin who we aim to spend Tuesday night with in Shrewsbury, and to Flech who they'll stay with further north... with a bit of luck!



Thank you all for your support!

Olympic Park

I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with some of the Young Leaders from the Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust London 2012 Young Leaders Programme and Athlete Mentor, Tom Davis (GB Judo). It was great to see some of the West London Young Leaders again, who are getting on really well with the community projects they have designed, prepared and are in the process of running in their local areas. Just click on the title to see the Young Leaders' Blogs.

The bus tour of the Olympic Park was interesting, it is certainly a busy place and, according to LOCOG, developing well to schedule. It is reassuring to hear that there will be a real legacy left and is creating many training and job opportunities. It seems an incredible site... and tickets have been allocated now!

It is a privilege to be involved.


Olympic Stadium
Basketball Arena
Aquatics Centre

Warwick Diva Team Brave Hot Coals

Diva Hair have been a huge support to me since I moved to Warwick, but their community spirit doesn't end there. Last week the team walked over coals heated to 800 degrees celcius, to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support, Myton Hospice and the Philippine Community Fund.

People call me crazy for racing down mountains at 70mph - that's nothing in comparison!

With funding cuts, continuing to pursue my goal of winning medals in the 2014 Paralypmics is becoming increasingly tough, and makes support I receive from sponsors like Diva more important than ever.

Leamington Observer wrote a lovely article earlier this year. Many thanks!

Professional Development

It’s also been a busy month in terms of career development…

I started with the Athletes Direct Seminar on the delivery of talks in schools, led by Brett Taylor. Great ideas from my teammate and x-teacher, Talan Skeels-Piggins, and golfer, Louise Davis. The British Olympic Association run the Athlete’s Direct scheme through which schools can apply for high achieving sportspeople to give talks and workshops to pupils. It has given me a good deal of invaluable speaking experience.

This was followed with some exceptional Presentation Skills training at The Media Group, Nottingham. Alongside other Dame Kelly Holmes Legacy Trust Athletes, I spent a very productive morning being filmed, discussing and learning skills from Keith Daniell who has had many years experience as a TV presenter, speaker and trainer. I have since been practising and am looking forward to putting my new skills to test!

Also had fantastic training at last weeks’ Sporting Champions Recruitment and Training Day in Birmingham. Picked up lots of useful tips on leading sessions and workshops with young people from Tim and Emma of DKH Legacy Trust, as well as numerous experienced and talented athlete mentors including Neil Danns (Brit and European Skateboarding Champ) and Sara McGreavy (GB hurdler).

And squeezed in time for my first wedding dress fitting (very exciting). Plans are finally coming together!

Yesterday’s National Citizens Service development day for the ‘Summer of a Lifetime’ was also really useful. Here’s to getting stuck in and making a difference in a few lives! . They say you should learn from the best and I certainly have been given the opportunities to. Many thanks to the DKH Legacy Trust National Support Programme, The Media Group and the BOA.

Launch of the ‘Summer of a Lifetime’ at House of Lords

Earlier this month, the National Citizens Service ‘Summer of a Lifetime’ project was launched in the House of Lords. The 'Summer of a Lifetime' project enables 16 to 24 year old school leavers to develop life skills through a series of active and exciting outdoor challenges away from home.

Participants will plan, design and deliver social action projects within their local community.

The project Launch was presented by two young people, Mo Ahmet and Matt Hutchins (17), who interviewed Project coordinators as well as other young leaders, myself, athlete Jenna Downing and Baroness Tanni Grey Thompson in front of 200 people.

The most rewarding aspect of work as a mentor is seeing young people progress and having worked on the 2012 Young Leaders project with Matt and Tanya (in photo), I was seriously impressed.

(Photo left: with Nenna Chuku, programme coordinator for DKH Legacy Trust at the Launch; Right: with 2012 Young Leader Tanya)

My role as Midlands Team Leader is to work with City of Wolverhampton College and Stoke on Trent YMCA to facilitate elite athletes to 'create chances for young people'. Athletes will motivate and enable the young adults to develop valuable skills such as teamwork, problem solving, leadership and communication, working alongside v.



11,000 young people are offered the chance to get involved and those who seize the opportunity will benefit themselves and local communities and have a lot of fun in the process.

Yesterday I helped develop the scheme with elite athletes involved in the 12 pilot projects, including Olympic swimmers Adam Whitehead and Ross Davenport; boxers Courtney Fry and Dermott Gascoyne; and BMX champion Mike Mullen. I am really looking forward to working alongside these athletes to get to know the young adults and see them develop this summer.


Follow www.twitter.com/@Summerofalife