Adaptive Athlete Tests Para Speed Skating Prototype Developed in Colorado
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Modifying a sport for adaptive athletes takes a lot of time, talent, and resources. Researchers and engineers need to develop the equipment, and adaptive athletes need to test multiple prototypes.
Engineering students at the Colorado School of Mines recently developed a prototype for a prosthetic speed skate. This prototype took six years to refine, and this year, adaptive athlete Caitlin Conner tested the one-of-a-kind prosthetic.
Conner lost her left leg below the knee in an accident. Now, she is the CEO and founder of Be More Adaptive, a non-profit with a mission to make the world more adaptive, accessible, and knowledgeable about the adaptive community. She also uses this platform to advocate for adaptive sports and develop them, as is the case with para speed skating.
As of this writing, speed skating is not recognized as a Paralympic sport due to technology limitations and safety concerns with falling. Conner has been working on the technological aspect for several years.
The ultimate aim is to make para speed skating more accessible and gain approval as the seventh sport in the Winter Paralympics. Currently, the approved Winter Paralympic sports include para ice hockey, para biathlon, para alpine skiing, para snowboard, para cross-country skiing, and wheelchair curling.
In an interview with KRDO, Conner said that people often perceive a person with a disability as unable to perform certain tasks, but it’s usually the environment that is the barrier, not the person. Therefore, it’s important to ensure access to the right equipment and a suitable environment and to explore new approaches to stay active. This has been Be More Adaptive’s mission since day one.
Conner is a versatile adaptive athlete who has dabbled in various sports, including boxing, cycling, triathlons, air rifle, cross-fit, figure skating, swimming, track and field, obstacle course racing, and even skydiving. She currently holds records in skydiving, obstacle course racing, and boxing.
Conner’s passion for adaptive sports has been steadfast. She dedicates her life to advocating for and developing opportunities in this field.
We hope that para speed skating will make it to the Paralympics soon.
