Disabled WaterskiThis year we are very honoured to have World Disabled Champion Dr Janet Gray performing for us at the Waterways Ireland Riverfest 2008.

It’s hard to define when Janet’s journey started.

As a school girl and teenager Janet was a very happy, outgoing, confident, bubbly and independent person. In her early years she was involved in swimming and life saving and her’s was that of a normal, happy young girl. Then, suddenly, at the age of 21, she suffered a life changing experience and lost her sight. Her world plunged into darkness and the contented life she knew vanished forever.

Janet Gray, aged just 21, had to adjust to the terrifying existence of a world of complete blackness and for the longest time it was battle of strength and will. Each day was a struggle to survive and each day was a struggle to exist.

Until Janet discovered the world of water skiing and her life was dramatically transformed! By hard work, sheer determination and love of the sport Janet reached the pinnacle of disabled water skiing by winning the World Disabled Championship in the three disciplines. (Slalom, tricks and jumps) and became the overall World Champion and World Record holder in all three disciplines. She was World Champion in 1999, 2001 and 2003.

But the vagaries of life hadn’t finished with Janet just yet and life took another turn in the guise of a steel jump ramp which Janet hit whilst water skiing at 40mph during winter training in Florida.

Such was the force of the impact that her survival was considered impossible but Janet’s strength and determination once again came into play and the faint signs of life turned into hope and despite sustaining multiple serious injuries Janet survived.

Doctors were highly skeptical about her chances of ever walking! But they were dealing with a person who embodies determination and after three long, painful years of intensive rehabilitation and numerous surgeries she stunned the sports world by donning her water-skis once again.

The Journey was long and hard with many turns but to the astonishment of fans, family and experts Janet, once again, took victory at the 2007 World Disabled Water Ski Championships in Townsville, Australia.

Dr. Janet Gray M.B.E. A remarkable woman, a remarkable journey, and a remarkable symbol of courage, determination and hope.

Wakeboard

Matt Crowhurst

Sian Hurst

2006-

1st cadettes category -Belfast
2nd open ladies nautique tour -Cork
2nd open ladies –Irish Nationals - Enniskillen
1st open ladies – Meteor

2007-

1st- open ladies- big air bet air- muckno
3rd- open ladies – wake jam Enniskillen
(Robbie Rendo finished 1st and Will Christian 2nd)
2nd – Junior ladies – UK Grom Nationals- Birmingham
1st- open ladies – Irish Nationals - Cork
2nd- Junior ladies- World Championships- Qatar

2008 –

3rd – Junior ladies – Eame Championships – South Africa

David O’ Caimh

Achievements:

2007

World Wakeboard Championships -through to semi finals
Ranked 10th overall (Boys 10-14)
1st National Championships Open Men
3rd Wake Up, Lisburn Pro Men
1st Wakejam, Enniskillen Junior Men
1st BigAir BetAir Monaghan Open Men

2006 1st Boys 10 - 14 National Championships
2005 2nd Boys 10 - 14 National Championships
2004 1st Boys 10 - 14 National Championships

David is very motivated at the moment so I am attaching his current
training schedule together with his plans for the next three years!!!
They may be helpful if you need to show the companies in the UK
something.

David has also offered to coach a ‘kids summer camp’ (free of charge) at
Muckno on Saturday mornings from April to June - every Saturday bar
about 3 or 4 when he will be away training or competing.

Peter O’ Hara…

Barefoot

Andre de Villiers

Andre de Villiers from the Republic of South Africa is known all over the World as one of the very best barefoot waterskiers of all time. At a humble age of 20 Andre has been Junior World Champion and has broken a number of World Records in the open men categories. Andre is famous for a number of specialist tricks and he performs these with ease in his repertoire. He is also known as one of the biggest barefoot Jumpers in the World. In case you don’t know barefoot jumping is one event not to be missed, it involves hitting a jump ramp at 45MPH+ and propelling the body forward in the style of “super-man” before bringing the feet back below to land smoothly back in the water. Andre can jump 26 metres plus with his style has the potential to break a World Record with any jump.
A spectacular yet professional athlete, Andre de Villiers is a talent not to be missed.

Andy McDonald

Andy McDonald (22) is 4x Irish National Barefoot Champion and competes internationally at World Level. Andy recently jumped the 12^th largest jump recorded in the World in the summer of 2006 and he has been training to beat that this year. Andy trains with Andre de Villiers in South Africa and they both fuse their talents to provide coaching clinics all of Europe. Andy is also heavily funded by the Sports Council of Northern Ireland and sponsored by Jobe Watersports which gives him the opportunity to train with the best all over the World. Andy has been at the forefront of barefoot promotion for a number of years and has recently joined the EAME (Europe Africa and Middle East) council to aid in decisions regarding the sport, this alone is a great honour for our local athlete as the youngest ever committee member to be voted onto the panel.

Mathijs Zielman

Mathijs Zielman (15) from Holland is 5x Dutch National Champion. He also competes internationally at European and World level and secured a Bronze medal in the Jump event in the EAME championships 2007 (Dijon, France)

Mathijs also trains along-side Andre de Villiers among others and is on the path to being one of the best barefoot athletes. Mathijs has a number of sponsors who have recognised his potential and his talent today and he is currently training hard for the World Championships in New Zealand (February 2009).

Mathijs will make up the third piece of the puzzle in the barefoot display team that will be performing at the Riverfest and will be at the top of a speeding human pyramid only to be supported by the Andre and Andy who below will be gliding over the water on nothing but their bare feet at speeds reaching over 45MPH.