cerebral palsy
venessa’s
crazy climb
By Amy Park
Venessa Crane has a love for
adventure, and has previously
pushed herself in the sports of
swimming, yoga, and hand cycling.
Her ventures and creativity also
stretch to photography, clay-
modelling, painting and craft, as
well as managing part-time work.
But Venessa’s latest conquest was
huge; a 2,282-metre climb of Mt
Kosciuszko in February. The peak in
the Snowy Mountains of New South
Wales is the highest point above
sea level in mainland Australia, her for this trial, but also some “I was in a lot pain about half down
with the nine-kilometre walk modifications needed for her the mountain. I was trucked by a
winding up to the summit. wheelchair to ensure it could National Parks ranger vehicle part
handle the rocky terrain. of the way back down, and people
Venessa, who has cerebral palsy and
were worried I’d been badly hurt. I
uses a wheelchair, took about nine “I needed to use an outdoor was just physically exhausted from
hours to complete the climb. She wheelchair with extended chassis the wheelchair and my walk up to
says the preparation was extensive. that could be pushed and pulled the top.
up rough rocky slopes.
“There was a lot of time in the
“But there were people watching
gym for about a year beforehand,” “It was very different to my usual as we got closer to the finish, so I
Venessa, 41, said. comfortable powered wheelchair, decided I would walk again to get
and I had to get used to sitting in across the finish line, and I was
“My exercise physiologist had this other wheelchair and being crying, and I felt every little step.
returned from the Krazy Kosci hauled over rugged terrain.
Klimb at the start of last year, and
“I no longer cared about the pain
came back on a high, saying how “Extra straps were also needed, or tiredness, I saw the people
awesome the adventure had been and my footplates had to be cheering me across the finish line,
for her. She just sold the idea to adjusted for safety.” and I believed I could do anything.
Venessa admits that there was a “I had an amazing team that
me, and she knew I would be up
for the challenge.”
38
lot of satisfaction in completing looked after me, and we went
For Venessa, there wasn’t just the c limb, but it wasn’t all through a lot together, I couldn’t
preparation to physically prepare smooth sailing. have done it without them.”
cerebral palsy
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