Tied to a harness, hanging from a metal rope several hundred metres high during a Via Ferrata course... Sounds daunting doesn’t it? Paragliding from a 2,000-metre cliff… Scary! But once you get over the fear and actually complete the event, the sense of satisfaction fills your being giving you the greatest adrenaline rush ever!

These are few of the sensations participants of last year’s Ability Challenge felt after taking part in a week of adventurous activities in the south of France. However, the biggest sensation felt was the satisfaction of assisting disabled participants to complete the events, throughout the whole challenge – this is what the Ability Challenge is all about.

The second Ability Challenge, is being organised once again by Razzett tal-Hbiberija. Razzett offers unique therapeutic, educational and recreational services to over 1,000 children and adults with a disability every year. The services are offered free of charge and the operational costs are over Lm400,000 a year. Therefore, Razzett organises a number of initiatives that assist funding its cause throughout the year; however the Ability Challenge has a different aim and funding is not the priority.

Each team will be made up of participants with mixed abilities. This year’s challenge, will take place in the mountain village of Mayrhofen in Austria, in August. The planned activities are rafting, a glacier tour, canyoning, mountain biking, a ropes course and paragliding. All these activities will be coordinated by professional guides to ensure that each activity is carried out safely. Since this is a physical challenge, a reasonable amount of fitness, adventurous spirit and can-do attitude is required. Apart from weekly training sessions, to be held on Sunday mornings, participants will be given the opportunity to make use of gym facilities at the Razzett for free.

Each participant, apart from attending and participating in training on a regular basis will be required to raise funds which will go towards the objectives of this challenge, which are two-fold.

The first is to create more awareness of abilities, rather than disabilities. Unfortunately, the local attitude of the general public is that of judging persons with a disability by simply looking at his or her disability. Razzett is trying to change this perspective through events such as the Ability Challenge so that the general public can judge a person by his ability rather his disability. On the other hand, many disabled persons are discouraged to attempt such challenges due to a “can’t-do” attitude. Last year’s Ability Challenge has proved otherwise as with inclusion, ambition and a positive attitude, persons with mixed abilities went through canyons, did paragliding, trekked to mountain tops, kayaked rivers, cycled different terrains and climbed an 800-metre mountain, irrespective of their disability. The Razzett wants to see the Ability Challenge become an annual event to reduce this “can’t-do” attitude and give disabled persons the opportunity to feel that they too can reach higher levels in their lives.

The second objective of the Ability Challenge is to raise funds, and all proceeds received from sponsors, donors and participants will be going towards the purchasing of necessary equipment that will be used by prospective participants aiming to participate in the 2012 Paralympics to be held in Kent.

The Ability Challenge 2007 Committee is currently enrolling interested participants and an introductory meeting for prospective participants will be held today at 7pm at the Razzett tal-Hbiberija in Marsascala. General information on the challenge can be obtained either by contacting Bradley Dingli on tel.: 2163-6526 or via email to: events@

razzett.org.