Centre Manager for Summer 2010

Are you a keen Water Skier and looking for a full time role within the sport?

Are you keen to take on a rewarding role that can make a difference and change lives?

The British Disabled Water Ski Association has a vacancy for a full time National Centre Manager. Based at Heron Lake (near Heathrow) the role involves running a unique facility providing water skiing for people with disabilities, through both organised courses and also in a club environment. The role provides a lakeside flat to the manager who is required to live on site.

An ideal candidate will preferably have experience from the sport of water skiing, but full training can be provided and therefore a keen attitude is the most important criteria.

Salary c. £14,000 per annum + free accommodation.

To express an interest please e-mail including a copy of your CV to: vacancy@bdwsa.org

Gerald Price


All members will be saddened to hear that Gerald Price, the chairman of the British Disabled Water Ski Association, passed away on December 29th. Following an exceptionally active life he only succumbed to a virulent form of cancer after fighting strongly for a couple of months. All our sympathy at this time will go to his wife Elsie and two sons Andrew and John.

At the age of 76 Gerald had a far more adventurous life than most of us, yet alone amongst those who are completely blind. Gerald lost his sight in his twenties and went on to prove that he could still do anything a sighted person could. Water skiing was his principal sport but his interests were varied. His working career was as a professional fund raiser for the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB). It was there that he developed a huge network of friends, many of them professional footballers. His professional skills were of course invaluable to the B.D.W.S.A. and whenever, often at short notice, large amounts of money were required for things such as sending teams to International ski competitions, Gerald came up trumps.

Another profession he pursued at the same time was an entertainer. Not in the big time music halls but traveling to many gigs in the Manchester area to sing and play guitar. More recently he was a parliamentary candidate for the UK Independence Party. His many activities included a parachute jump and charity bike rides. In fact he would have a go at almost anything. One skill many noted was his incredible naturally developed feeling for navigation. He never used a guide dog but with a traditional white stick found his way without help around all of England and its cities.

Gerald learnt to water ski behind his own outboard boat on Lake Windermere in the 1970’s and before the B.D.W.S.A was formed in 1978. He and his sons were able show the B.D.W.S.A. the most effective way to teach visually impaired people and what safety procedures were required. Some of his water skiing achievements were skiing across the English Channel together with David Musgrove. He was our first blind British team member and represented Great Britain in European and World Titled events. After being the first blind skier to land a ski jump at the inaugural World Trophy for Disabled Water Skiers held at Heron Lake in 1987 he became the first blind World Champion. Recently Gerald’s help was most welcomed by the “ Keep Windermere Alive Association” that is campaigning to retain legal water skiing where he first started. Gerald’s home water ski club was at Sale but in more recent years he has been the leading personality in the formation of the Whitworth Water Ski Centre where priority is always given to skiers with disabilities. First elected to the BDWSA Management committee in 1979 Gerald was active on the National Committee from then onwards. He became Chairman in May 2008 proving himself to be innovative and most able in integrating the Regional Committees by frequent telephone conference meetings. His work was recognised by British Water Ski who made him an Honorary member in January 2009.

Gerald had so many varied interests that I am sure I have no idea of all his accomplishments but there is one outstanding skill that he was gifted with and that was of a great communicator. He understood all forms of media and knew what they wanted. He could summon at short notice TV crews, radio interviewers and newspaper reporters and give them the ready quotes they needed to show how water skiing can so effectively benefit people with all types of disability. In recent years he mastered the internet to effectively email everyone and of course he used the telephone relentlessly. All of this tireless voluntary work was for charity and largely for the British Disabled Water Ski Association.

Gerald will be sorely missed and these days when many younger people seem to be so self interested one wonders if ever again we will have someone willing to devote so much of there life to the benefit of others. A good man who made light of his own disabilities and devoted his time to helping others.

Gerald’s family have decided upon a private funeral for invited relatives and close friends. Also they will have a much larger memorial service at a later date for all of his very many friends. Gerald himself requested no flowers for his funeral and that, if desired, friends could donate either to B.D.W.S.A or to the Macmillan cancer relief organisation. For B.D.W.S.A. you can send donations direct to either myself or Anne Griffiths at Heron Lake.

Robin Nichols

What's new
Download a Membership Form - here - (right click the link, and select download) fill it in, and email it back to us.

Welcome
Are you or do you know someone who is, visually impaired, in a wheelchair, an amputee or perhaps with a learning difficulty? Are you a skier wanting to put something back into the sport or a teacher/group-leader?
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Do you like the idea of water sports but feel your disability stops you?
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Forget the restrictions of the land, leave your disability behind and feel the freedom of the water. With the expert guidance and assistance from fully qualified instructors you can take to the water and learn to water ski, whatever your disability.
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Our aim is to introduce newcomers to the sport who, due to their disability would not have considered the challenge previously possible. Amputee, blind, deaf, sufferers of partial paralysis, paraplegic other wheelchair users, people with Multiple Sclerosis and learning disabilities have all graduated from the British Disabled Water Ski Association.
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Whoever you are, if you’re new here, click on the ‘Newbee’ button for introductory information and videos.
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…and existing members – help me out please, send in photo and video clips, dates etc – it’s a national site and I’ve had to re-launch it using banks of existing photo’s. It you're a real BDWSA fan, you can even ask for a bdwsa email address now!

Brian Marris