Amputee Ice Hockey

[Ren Gallet]

First I would like to thank my friend Gary Hart for allowing me to put this post on his web site.
Hi, my name is Ren Gallet,
Some of you reading this, unfortunately, all ready know me but for those of you who don’t, I’m currently the only Amputee in Australia playing either Inline Hockey or Ice Hockey.
There was three of us including me, Ben Cridland who is currently living and working in Canada and probably playing Ice Hockey there(lucky B***D), Tim Davies who use to be a State Goalie and is brilliant but suffered a few injuries and sold his gear but would come out of retirement if he could get funding.
Ice Skating in any form for an Amputee must be the hardest sports discipline to overcome, so playing Ice Hockey makes it even harder that’s why I’m the only one playing in Australia. I say this because I have approached the Australian And International Paralympics Committees asking why speed skating or other forms of skating are not part of the winter Paralympic Games and they answered by saying there are not enough people or countries with competitors who are able to make it a competitive event.
I have tried Skiing and within two days, having never skied before, I could ski all the blue runs at Falls Creek so I didn’t see that as such a big challenge. Playing Ice Hockey or Inline Hockey against able bodied players – Now that’s a challenge.
I have tried in a number of ways to get Amputees interested in playing but with only three people giving it a try and giving up after only getting half way across the rink shows how hard it can be.
There is an organisation run by the Canadians called I.S.I.H.F –International Standing Ice Hockey Federation. They have a web site, and 300 players to choose from for their team. At Vancouver winter Paralympic Games 2010 they will introduce Standing Ice Hockey as a demonstration sport, and it will be introduced into the Paralympic agenda at the 2014 games.
Sadly Australia won’t be included because we don’t have the players but because Canada knows we have a couple of players, as do some other countries, they are going to introduce a world team made of players from different countries to play at ISIHF tournaments. Even at the ripe old age of 62 I will be invited to play on this team at the world championships in Montreal 2010.
The Olympic or Paralympic Committees here are not interested in doing anything or helping out with the sport so the only support you will get is your own if you chose to take the sport up.
Any Amputees, who are interested in giving Ice Hockey a go or want to know more about ISIHF, can talk to me at the SAGA tournament (I play golf as well but badly).
If you are interested you need to know that Ice Hockey or Inline Hockey are expensive sports to get started in. I can help out with some gear and I know a lot of coaches willing to help and let you join their development squads. If you do play it will always be against, and with, able bodied people, and some people will be impressed by your efforts while others will be intimidated.
One thing is for sure, if any Amputee out there decides to take up Ice Hockey you will automatically be included in the Australian Amputee Ice Hockey Team just let Ben know at ausampicehockey.com.au. If I can get invited to play on a world team at 62 then anybody can do it.
Don’t expect any help from Paralympics or Olympics, it won’t happen.
Without sounding too much like a smart A**s, I can run, ride bikes, ski, but my biggest challenge has always been the ice skating and believe any Amputee who tries it will see how challenging it is for them compared to anything else they’ve tried.

See you at the South Aus Open, REN.

[Gazza]

Ren my friend, as usual determined and willing to help fellow Amputee's it is a credit to you, as President of S.A.A.G.A ,YOU HAVE MY WORD I shall do anything in my power to help and support you and any other Amputee to achieve what you are suggesting, so I request not only of my members at SAAGA but all around Australia, please get in touch with either Ren or my self and show your interest and support and as Ren says " If I can do it, so can anybody else".

Ren, I will give it a go, we will have the support of most of my sponsors, I say most because I've not put this to all of them yet, but they think that all Amputee's are quite amazing in what they achieve already, so this is out there, what a challenge, so come on you good people "Give it a go"

I will be getting in touch with Sport and Rec, these people are truly supportive of what I'm trying to achieve in South Australia, so I urge Association's around Australia to get behind what Ren is trying to do and support him in every way.

Well done Ren, your a credit to Amputee's.

Gary Hart
President
S.A.A.G.A.

[Ren Gallet]

Hi All and thanks Gary for your support.
Just to keep anybody informed if they are watching this post or subject, The International Paralympic Committee are meeting with the ISIHF and IHF to determine the guidelines which will be set down by the IPC for the inclusion of Standing amputee ice Hockey in the winter Paralympic Games, set down for 2014.
If anyone is interested, ISIHF do have a web site and, although its in it's infancy there is updates on how the organisation and how it affects all prospective competitors, are proceding in their Olympic Dream.
Sadly, even though we have approached the Australian Paralympic Commitee on a number of occassions, organisations here show little interest. The only answer i can give to that is hope that funding and support can come from the corporate sector, but even there they will probably want something in return, failing that it means dedication from anybody wanting to compete and paying your own way as far as equipment and training go, and looking for family support.
The results from the ISIHF and IPC should be through before the SAGA tournament so i will be able to keep you updated and hopefully bring some good news with me to the tournament.
Later Hockey Fans,

REN.