Travelling at speeds of 80km/h on skis down snowy slopes sounds daunting. Doing it without sight is almost unthinkable, but for Thomas Coysh, it’s just another day on the mountain.
The 25-year-old is a para alpine ski racer, despite living with a rare genetic eye condition called retinitis pigmentosa, whichhas progressively worsened to the point where he is now completely blind.
But Coysh, a self-described adrenaline junkie, doesn’t let that stop him.
He’s set himself some big targets with the goal of qualifying for the World Cup circuit, while representing New Zealand at the 2030 Winter Paralympics in the French Alps would be the icing on the cake.
As Coysh competes in the B1 category, the classification for athletes with the most severe visual impairment, he must also wear approved blacked-out goggles during competition.
When practising, guide John Nicholas usually skis behind Coysh, but at the Olympics, the guides must be at the front.
In April, while based in Colorado for a training camp, Coysh took out the bronze medal in the US Nationals in a Super G race, alongside Nicholas.
Coysh says there is a lot of trust needed from both parties.
“If the mountain were completely empty with no obstacles, maybe I could get down,” said Coysh.”But that’s not reality.
“In a race, there are gates and terrain changes. I rely on my guide and we both have to trust each other completely.
“They have to trust that I’ll respond exactly to their calls, and I have to trust that they’re giving the right instructions. If something goes wrong, it could mean hospital, or worse.”
Growing up, sport was something Coysh loved. He would occasionally ski on family vacations, but his biggest love was football with dreams of being a goalkeeper for the All Whites.
Aged 11, he noticed a little black dot floating in his vision which wouldn’t go away. After seeing an ophthalmologist, he was diagnosed with the degenerative eye condition.
Three years later, Coysh recalls when things really took a turn and he couldn’t see from the back of the classroom, while he would struggle seeing the ball in football, and he eventually had to give that up.
Coysh describes his vision like looking through a static TV, but he can vaguely detect light.
Unable to take part in meaningful sport, he went years feeling lost and having no sense of purpose until he learnt about adaptive sports. He tried his hand at a few before noticing skiing was an option.
Having done some skiing in the past, which he did stop because of his deteriorating vision, he decided to attend the have-a-go para-alpine skiing day at Snow Plant, north of Auckland.
The rest is history as Coysh relocated to the South Island to chase his dream. He tries to ski four to five times a week during the winter months on Mt Hutt.
“I loved skiing as a kid, but I stopped when my vision worsened because I didn’t know about adaptive options,” said Coysh.
“Once I discovered adaptive skiing existed, I thought, ‘Absolutely, I want to try that.’
“I was excited, but also cautious. I also have a hearing impairment, so I wondered if I’d even be able to hear a guide.”
Away from the slopes, Coysh has a passion for the ocean and sailing.
His interest was sparked after taking part in a 21-day Outward Bound course, which included some sailing around the Marlborough Sounds, and Coysh managed to successfully take part without a dedicated instructor.
He also did a five-day trip on the Spirit of Adventure, and then eventually a 28-day Atlantic crossing from the Canary Islands to Antigua.
“I never look at something and think, ‘That’s impossible’. I just ask, ‘How can I do this?’,” said Coysh.
“They’d never had someone with my impairments do it before.
“Initially, they thought I’d need a dedicated instructor, but after a couple of days, they realised I was fine, and I completed it just like everyone else.”
Coysh knows fully well the challenges of being an athlete with an impairment and he’s determined to help others.
He is currently exploring avenues where he can help support other athletes with disabilities and bridge the gap between recreational and high-performance funding.
Coysh believes sport should be equitable, so that anyone can participate irrespective of age, or physical ability.
“I’ve got the idea of a clothing brand called Allegedly Impaired. It plays on terms like visually impaired or physically impaired,” said Coysh.
