Suffering a stroke and relearning to ski again in Courchevel March 2013
Lucy skiing with renewed confidence following a stroke - "I cannot thank Ski2 Freedom enough for giving me the confidence to take my family skiing. We were all beginners together and spent a very normal happy week together on the slopes of Courchevel." Lucie
At the age of 41, Lucie had a stroke in 2006 following the birth of her second son. The stroke had left her with a weakness on the left side - she has problems walking and no functional use of her left arm. She had been an experienced skier in her teens and twenties but had not skied since then. Her husband and two children had never skied before. She never thought that skiing again, especially with the family, would be a possibility. Her two young sons had kept asking “when are we going on a ski holiday like our friends?” Lucie made contact with Ski 2 Freedom in October 2012 who encouraged her to go back to skiing and gave her the confidence to get the whole family on the slopes. She chose Courchevelas she had spent many happy weeks there in the past and felt returning to familiar territory would help her confidence in learning to ski again. Pierre Bernoud from ESF Courchevel 1850 was recommended by Catherine, from Ski 2 Freedom, as an empathetic and specialist ski instructor with whom Lucie then booked private lessons. They also booked another instructor for her husband and two young sons neither of them having skied before. March 2013 saw the family on their first ski holiday together and it just goes to show that everything is possible, given the courage and determination of one very special person combined with the expertise of the ESF Courchevel 1850 instructor.
"I wanted to drop you a note to say thank you for introducing me to Pierre Bernoud in Courchevel. He was a brilliant guide and gave me the confidence to ski again after my stroke. It was only by speaking with you that I thought I could do it again and my husband and I took our two boys skiing for the very first time. They of course loved it and took to it immediately. It was also the first time for my husband. Having no use of my left arm I skied with one pole and Pierre worked out a way for me to balance on two skis using predominantly my good leg. It was a fantastic holiday and I cannot thank you enough. Do let me know if I can help with your charitable activities - I would be happy to speak with anyone who is contemplating going back to skiing after a life changing event. With warm regards, Lucie"
