Sunday, March 12, 2006 8:08:40 PM
An interview with Florian Planker
Jan 24 2006
Florian Planker left leg amputated due to a motorcycle accident, before which he used to play ice hockey, now is an alpine skiing Paralympic athlete, winner of the third place at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympic Winter Games super-G competition.
Surname: Planker
Name: Florian
Nationality: Italian
Date of birth: 08.02.1977
Discipline: Alpine Skiing
Best result: 3rd in Super-G at Salt Lake 2002
Hobbies: Sitball - Water Skiing - Cycling
Occupation: Bank clerk
Class of disability: LW 2 (left leg amputation - above the knee)
Hi Florian, how did you decide to practice sport at agonistic level and why did you choose skiing?
A - Well, let's say that before my accident I used to play ice hockey and then they explained the various sports people with a disability can practice. I chose skiing straight away because I have always skied and living in Val Gardena I had good possibilities to practice it.
What do you feel about being a Paralympic champion and what was the strongest emotion the first time you put skis on?
A - It is difficult to explain Personally almost nothing special, I was happy to be able to practice sport anyway. When I was able to take the first lift with one leg without losing my balance and falling, it seemed really incredible and I felt an incredible emotion.
It must have been very hard keeping your body constantly in shape and specially finding the time to do it. So how much time are you generally able to dedicate to training, and in which moments of the day do you train?
A - In actual fact it is not very easy to find the time to train. Since I work from Monday to Friday, unfortunately training time depends always on many circumstances. Usually I go 2 or 3 evenings a week to the gym for about 1hr1/2 and when we have training sessions together with the team I have to take days off.
What were the reasons that brought you to take part again in the Paralympic Winter Games as you did in Nagano in 1998 and in Salt Lake City in 2002, where you gained good results?
A - I think that for all athletes the Olympic Games Event is the most important goal in one's career, and like the proverb says: The important thing is to take part…
Well, now let’s talk about your future, what are your objectives and expectations for the next Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games?
A - My aim is to get there prepared and able to give the maximum, maybe reaching the podium for one discipline. As far as my expectations are concerned, I am a bit doubtful, because since they grouped together also for the Olympic Winter Games all the categories together I hope to be able to be among the first ten!
Do you think the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games could be a good opportunity to give more visibility to sport for people with a disability?
A - Yes, at least I hope so!! Looking at the small but significant steps made over the last years, I think that this event could be the turning point of the mentality and approach also by Italians. The comparison with other countries such as Austria, Germany, USA, Canada and many others which are far more open to the various sporting activities for people with a disability doesn't stand yet. The key is however in the information, the event must be surely promoted, followed and advertised more by the media, otherwise people will never know!!
Tells about your constant commitment, how has it benefited you in undertaking an agonistic activity and what gives you more problems?
A - There are many advantages, I definitely had a better recovery from the injury both physically and psychologically and I had the opportunity to encounter and extraordinary world that I could have never imagined. Among the disadvantages instead, definitely the difficulty to find the right mix between work, sport and private life.
Cristina De Ambrogio and Alessia Mangiapane
Jan 24 2006
Florian Planker left leg amputated due to a motorcycle accident, before which he used to play ice hockey, now is an alpine skiing Paralympic athlete, winner of the third place at the 2002 Salt Lake City Paralympic Winter Games super-G competition.
Surname: Planker
Name: Florian
Nationality: Italian
Date of birth: 08.02.1977
Discipline: Alpine Skiing
Best result: 3rd in Super-G at Salt Lake 2002
Hobbies: Sitball - Water Skiing - Cycling
Occupation: Bank clerk
Class of disability: LW 2 (left leg amputation - above the knee)
Hi Florian, how did you decide to practice sport at agonistic level and why did you choose skiing?
A - Well, let's say that before my accident I used to play ice hockey and then they explained the various sports people with a disability can practice. I chose skiing straight away because I have always skied and living in Val Gardena I had good possibilities to practice it.
What do you feel about being a Paralympic champion and what was the strongest emotion the first time you put skis on?
A - It is difficult to explain Personally almost nothing special, I was happy to be able to practice sport anyway. When I was able to take the first lift with one leg without losing my balance and falling, it seemed really incredible and I felt an incredible emotion.
It must have been very hard keeping your body constantly in shape and specially finding the time to do it. So how much time are you generally able to dedicate to training, and in which moments of the day do you train?
A - In actual fact it is not very easy to find the time to train. Since I work from Monday to Friday, unfortunately training time depends always on many circumstances. Usually I go 2 or 3 evenings a week to the gym for about 1hr1/2 and when we have training sessions together with the team I have to take days off.
What were the reasons that brought you to take part again in the Paralympic Winter Games as you did in Nagano in 1998 and in Salt Lake City in 2002, where you gained good results?
A - I think that for all athletes the Olympic Games Event is the most important goal in one's career, and like the proverb says: The important thing is to take part…
Well, now let’s talk about your future, what are your objectives and expectations for the next Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games?
A - My aim is to get there prepared and able to give the maximum, maybe reaching the podium for one discipline. As far as my expectations are concerned, I am a bit doubtful, because since they grouped together also for the Olympic Winter Games all the categories together I hope to be able to be among the first ten!
Do you think the Torino 2006 Paralympic Winter Games could be a good opportunity to give more visibility to sport for people with a disability?
A - Yes, at least I hope so!! Looking at the small but significant steps made over the last years, I think that this event could be the turning point of the mentality and approach also by Italians. The comparison with other countries such as Austria, Germany, USA, Canada and many others which are far more open to the various sporting activities for people with a disability doesn't stand yet. The key is however in the information, the event must be surely promoted, followed and advertised more by the media, otherwise people will never know!!
Tells about your constant commitment, how has it benefited you in undertaking an agonistic activity and what gives you more problems?
A - There are many advantages, I definitely had a better recovery from the injury both physically and psychologically and I had the opportunity to encounter and extraordinary world that I could have never imagined. Among the disadvantages instead, definitely the difficulty to find the right mix between work, sport and private life.
Cristina De Ambrogio and Alessia Mangiapane
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