A First Climb participant takes a turn at scaling the rock wall. Photograph courtesy of OPAF.
First Climb, the newest member of the OPAF family of First Clinics, was launched as part of the 2011 Amputee Coalition National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri. The clinic was led by amputee rock climber, Ronnie Dickson, and sponsored by Prosthetic & Orthotic Associates (POA), Orlando, Florida.
More than 95 amputees attempted to climb the 25-foot rock wall that was erected in Washington Square Park, where the event was held, directly across from the conference hotel. Participants were harnessed and coached by Dickson and staff to try and scale the wall with hand and foot grips.
“Climbing is a very accessible sport for persons with disabilities,” Dickson said in an OPAF press release. “Even if it is something that participants only do once, it will be one more experience that they have…under their belt. The lessons learned climbing can help other obstacles in life seem smaller in comparison, so I believe these clinics are an asset to helping people with disabilities overcome all of their life challenges.”
