Before the World Cup in Bern: “I don’t notice my handicap when climbing”

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It’s a motley crew, the Swiss paraclimbing team. They come from all over Switzerland, speak different languages, are in very different stages of life and have different disabilities. But the passion for climbing unites them all. Michael Bühler (37) from Bern trains the team several times a week. Sometimes in Villeneuve VD, sometimes in Uster ZH or sometimes in Ostermundigen near Bern. Here we meet him and his athletes.

At first, no one at the Swiss Alpine Club SAC, to which the paraclimbing team belongs, thought the work would be so intensive. 16 athletes with very different needs now have to be coached. “The idea of ​​creating a paracrew had been around for a long time. But it was only implemented a year and a half ago,” says Bühler. The World Cup in Bern in August was decisive. “We started with a single athlete.” This “guinea pig” was Amruta Wyssmann (31). The Graubünden woman was born without a left forearm. For a long time she had nothing to do with climbing. Until friends just took them. Then it was ready for her.

“It was really fun, so I stuck with it. And it’s good for my body.” She points to her muscular upper left arm. “I’m pretty proud of that. I hardly ever used my arm for climbing.” When she climbs the 20-foot walls, you have to look twice to notice her handicap.

About the radio against the wall

Roland Paillex (59) attracts a bit more attention in the climbing gym. Or rather his most loyal companion, the guide dog Disco. The labrador lies at Paillex’s feet and watches intently as his owner puts on headphones. Coach Michael Bühler checks the carabiners and safety ropes and then also puts on headphones. To climb the wall, the Romand relies on the guidance of a guide, in this case their trainer.

Since a failed operation six years ago, Paillex has seen only one percent. It’s like looking through a straw. But this limitation has never stopped the polysport optimist from climbing. “Even before the incident, I loved climbing. When I went blind, I just kept doing it.” And how. De Romand won the bronze medal in his category in his very first international competition. On the wall, he is in his element. And says: “When I climb, I notice my no disability.”

Keep the ball flat

The excitement about the World Cup in Bern is already palpable in the team. Coach Bühler wants to keep expectations low. “We have to be realistic. Our team is still incredibly young. Many of our athletes have only been climbing for a few years. Other countries have been leading a professional para team for 20 years.”

And yet every athlete at the World Cup wants to show his best at home. However, the competitive atmosphere is still new for many Swiss para-climbers. The almost blind Roland Paillex had to learn that the hard way at his first World Cup a few weeks ago: “There was a huge show at the presentation of the athletes. With loud music and colorful lights. As soon as I stepped on stage, I was looking straight into the spotlight.” For the next ten minutes, Paillex’s last percent of his sight was gone. But de Romand takes it with humor. “I wear a cap at the World Cup. At least I don’t have to worry about the haircut.”

Source : Blick