Sight-impaired climber heads off to national para-event
SIGHT-IMPAIRED climber Michael Ellis is about to travel to Wales for a training session taking place this weekend as he prepares for next month’s national para-climbing series.
Mr Ellis, who is also autistic, first took up climbing last year following a social prescribing referral from his GP.
Ravenscroft has provided financial support for Mr Ellis and his guide, Chris Harvey, to allow them to make to the trips to the mainland.
‘The chance to compete still feels like a dream,’ said Mr Ellis.
‘I already get so much from climbing, but to have this opportunity is awesome. I started as a complete beginner and feel such achievement at so many things that I have been able to do through the support of Climb and sheer determination.
‘Climbing has had an incredibly positive effect on me – it is something I really enjoy and provides lots of achievements and challenges in an environment that works for me, and there are so many exciting opportunities for the future.’
Mr Ellis has been classified as B1, which is for competitors with the most severe level of impairment, and will have the chance to meet other climbers in the same category when he visits the Castle Climbing Centre in London on Saturday.
He will travel to Caernarfon in Wales to compete next month.
‘We sponsor a number of sportsmen and women and sporting initiatives across our jurisdictions because we know the benefits sport brings,’ said Ravenscroft’s managing director Mark Bousfield.
‘While a climbing sponsorship is a first for us, when we heard from Michael and saw how he has benefited and how passionate he is about people getting involved in sport, we wanted to provide some support.’