Impairment Will Not Slow Down Anna Kulíškova´s Life Between School and Ski Slope












            ******************************************************************************************

            *
            ******************************************************************************************
            While many college students are busy enough studying, Anna Kulíšková wins medals on the si

            bronze one from this year's Paralympics in Vancouver, and even a gold from Turin four year
            that, she has won Crystal Globes in both downhill and Super G.
            Anna Kulíšková races in the B2 visual impairment category (visual field of 4 degrees), as 

            peripheral vision. At the Charles University Faculty of Social Sciences, you can meet her 
            guide dog, a female Labrador, but otherwise she is not relieved of any work at school.
            Three weeks ago, you returned from the Paralympics in Vancouver. How did you prepare for t

            This year's season was very specific, we spent a lot of time training. In the Autumn, we w
            on an iceberg. My sighted guide Míša has a regular job, so it wasn't easy for her either. 

            leave of absence.
            For how long have you been working with your guide, and how long does it take before you a
            each other?

            This was our second season together. We are always perfecting our collaboration. Each race
            experience and we keep learning from each other. But I think that we had synced during the
            this year we could focus on further improvements.
                                                                                                      
            What are you impressions and experiences of Vancouver?                                    
            In terms of sport, at first I was disappointed, because I kept failing at races. I fell in
            downhill race that I thought would be most hopeful. Then, fortunately, I won a medal in Su
                                                                                                      
            bearing a flag during the opening ceremony was a very emotional experience.               
            Did you have time to look around the city?                                                
            We were rather busy and only managed to look around on the last day.                      
                                                                                                      
            Is this the end of the season for you?                                                    
            This weekend, I packed my winter equipment, so the season is officially over for me. I can
            at last.                                                                                  
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      
                                                                                                      
            Is it hard to combine sport and college?
            This year's exams were quite difficult. I was busy training and didn't have enough time to
            exams. But I managed. And now it can only get better.

            You have studied music at a conservatory – concert flute and guitar. Didn't you consider c
            music?
            I did, for a while, but if I went on to study music at college, I would have to focus on m

            wouldn't have had time for sport. And I did not want that. I didn't want to give up skiing
            In the end, you started studying journalism. Why didn't you choose the Faculty of Physical
            Sports?

            I would have had many problems because of my impairment. They do many sports that I cannot
            or ball games. I became interested in journalism when I came back from Turin and was being
            figured out that I might enjoy that job. In the future, I would like to focus on the topic

            impairments and disabilities.
            What are your plans for next year?
            The world cup in Italy is drawing nearer, which will take place on the Olympic slopes. I w

            want to go there. But for now, I want to focus on school more, because I have to start wor
            Bachelor's thesis.
            (Lucie Kettnerová)