Let's SUP together: Paddling fun for people with disabilities

SUP races, big waves, white water - all of this suddenly becomes secondary when you can share the really important experiences of stand-up paddling with these athletes with disabilities: The perception of the element of water, of nature and, above all, being able to move independently across the water - something that most paddlers perhaps take far too little for granted - suddenly comes to the fore. In conversation with Heinz Ehlers, the "project manager for inclusive water sports" in the SUP department of the Wilhelmshaven Canoeing and Sailing Club, the enthusiasm for the joint paddling activities with people with disabilities is all the more evident. "Experiencing moments like these is worth the effort to see the project through." He is referring to moments when paddlers in wheelchairs suddenly paddle across the water on their own, whooping with enthusiasm, or when paddlers with intellectual disabilities suddenly venture from the protective group on the mega SUP to the very front of the bow and want to go further and further, suddenly cheering the team on loudly, when initial fear turns into enthusiasm.

But it is not an easy path to get there. Heinz Ehlers, who works in the intensive care unit of a hospital in normal life, knows the difficult conditions. "You can't do this, you're not allowed to do this, you shouldn't do this," he says, describing invisible but often present barriers. "In some cases, relatives project their own fears onto them and many people with disabilities therefore find the terrain of water completely alien." In his opinion, SUP offers the best opportunities to venture onto the water carefully and independently. "It's suitable for people with disabilities and limitations of almost any kind. Some are afraid to stand up, they can start on their knees. You can even start by crawling lying down."

The special boards are not only a great help for people in wheelchairs, but also a basic requirement. "Some people have very expensive wheelchairs and our brackish water here is very aggressive. So we worked with an orthopaedic company to convert a hospital chair: Height-adjustable, with armrests and an elasticated Velcro strap around the abdomen that you can quickly release. This seat is strapped to the SUP." The association now has access to various SUPs and people in wheelchairs can go on tour completely independently on the board with outriggers. Always accompanied, of course. Trained SUP trainers and lifeguards ensure safety.

The first familiarisation with the board sometimes takes place in winter in the indoor pool, then in shallow water. Only then do they move onto the long dragon SUP for four adults or the mega SUP, the "Blue Klaus", named after the deceased former first chairman, who was such a strong advocate of inclusion in the club.

To load wheelchair users into the seat, the association has access to a battery-powered lift, which was purchased especially for this purpose with the support of "Aktion Mensch" and a crane builder from the neighbourhood. An effort that pays off.

Heinz Ehlers talks about the wheelchair user who, following an accident, is no longer able to do the sailing and surfing sports he used to do and had observed the lively "goings-on" of the mixed group on Lake Banter while on holiday. "Boa, I'm alive again", he says, after being spontaneously loaded onto a SUP for a paddle round - and is now looking for a club in his home country that can offer something similar.

In addition to rediscovering water sports, paddling also gives many people their first contact with water. And when a participant proclaims himself "Lord of the Seas" at the end of a course, the element of water may not have worked miracles, but it has awakened something special.

"The waves, the spray, the movements on the board," says Heinz Ehlers, "that's the pure experience of nature." Easing fears, building self-confidence - the SUP seems ideal for this. "We had a girl with us who was totally scared at first and in the end she stormed to the front, threw her hands up and demanded 'I want, I want, I want'. She then wanted to paddle on her own. There was simply a desire to prove something to herself, to be self-sufficient, to do something herself. We can offer that here."

Lots of information about the organisation's activities and suggestions - as well as a comprehensive brochure - can be found at: www.ksw-bantersee.de

Contacts for other clubs can also be found at: www.ksw-bantersee.de and www.sup-whv.de