A DISABLED man from Hoghton, near Preston will be swapping his wheelchair for a sit ski when he jets off to Austria this month to join the British Disabled Ski Team.

Steven Shaw, 38, of Station Road, has just come back from trials in Switzerland where he was selected to compete in the world sit ski championships.

Steve who works as a stock controller at Spartek in Bamber Bridge, was amazed at his success, as he has only been skiing seriously for 15 months.

He will take along able bodied skier Emma Taylor, 25, of Lightfoot Lane, Preston, to assist him during the event and on the slopes.

But at the end of the day, it's all down to Steve and his sit ski to guide him through the championship. The sit ski is designed like a wheelchair but instead of wheels it runs on a single ski.

He said: "It looks quite dangerous and maybe it is, but it's a wonderful thrill. You get a real sense of freedom." Steve is no stranger to adventure, as a disabled person he has tried pot-holing and before his accident he was in the Marines. He lost the use of his legs in an accident in which he broke his back after falling through a disused railway bridge onto rocks below.

But Steve hasn't let disability hinder his desire for excitement. He regularly practices at Rossendale and Pendle artificial slopes.

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