There is no freedom without risk. Everyone learns that when they learn to ski. It may sound surprising, but this risky sport gives visually impaired people a sense of freedom unlike any other. More and more people are putting on skis for this very reason, like Zsófi Lengyel from Székesfehérvár. Whether with limited vision or none at all, they want to experience the uplifting feeling of being free.

While speaking with a sports organizer, we learned that there are very few sports available to visually impaired people in which no helper is needed besides the coach. Skiing is one of them. Fortunately, more and more visually impaired people are trying it and falling in love with it. We met Zsófi Lengyel at her home in Székesfehérvár. After a coffee, we began getting ready and waited while she quickly prepared Mokka by putting on the guide harness. Then we set off. Zsófi has always strived for complete independence, something she has been supported in for the past six years by her guide dog from the Baráthegy Guide and Assistance Dog School.

“Mokka is the greatest love of my life. She is as important to me as my family and my fiancé,” she said.

Children Were Waiting for Zsófi and Mokka

When we arrived at the ski slope, a cheerful and noisy group of children welcomed us. They had heard that a guide dog would be arriving soon, and curiosity kept them there after their training session. Zsófi is warm and open with everyone in every situation. This outgoing personality is paired with excellent communication skills and a great sense of humor. It is no coincidence that in her workplaces she has often been given roles where, through her presence, more people could understand and accept visually impaired individuals. She explained that awareness programs in schools and workplaces become much easier with Mokka by her side, and the same is true of their everyday life together. But now, for the next hour and a half, the black Labrador would have nothing to do. She knows this well, so she immediately settled comfortably in the changing room. Meanwhile, Zsófi put on her ski boots and explained what attracted her to skiing.

The Body Flies Freely

“If we imagine it, a visually impaired person can only run while their hand is tied to that of a sighted person, and when tandem cycling, the bicycle frame connects them. Skiing is the only sport that is exciting enough, full of adrenaline, very fast and dynamic, yet I can still be free, because physically I am not attached to sighted people. They ski either in front of me or behind me and guide me verbally. In every descent, whether on plastic or snow, I experience that my body, as a visually impaired person, flies, soars, and is completely itself. I control how it moves. It feels unbelievably good.”

Visually Impaired People Should Come Skiing Too!

Of course, Zsófi does not manage downhill runs using her tiny one percent vision. She does it through lots of practice, increasingly refined technique, and with the help of a sighted coach on the plastic slope of Apex Sport Club. Dóra Fejérvári and Zsófi happily discussed the day’s training plan with smiles, and then the lift started moving. During every practice session, Dóra skied behind her student and gave verbal assistance whenever needed, mainly to help maintain direction. The success of their teamwork is already visible in the results. Zsófi regularly travels abroad to ski, confidently descends slopes, and this year she achieved first and second place in two events at the Hungarian Championships. It is important to mention that the main organizer of sports for the visually impaired is the LÁSS Sports Association. Zsófi previously also took part in one of their ski camps abroad.

Dóra has worked with visually impaired people who want to learn skiing since the beginning of her career. “Until visually impaired people experience what skiing is like, they usually have some fear. We try to eliminate that by creating a sense of safety. Once they learn the basics, they feel secure. In Budapest, more and more people are starting on plastic slopes in childhood, and we are constantly promoting the idea that visually impaired people should come and do sports too.”

“Skiing is the dot on the ‘i,’ the crown of my sporting life. I have done many sports competitively and as hobbies while visually impaired: triathlon, cycling, pole sport, rhythmic gymnastics, and many others could be listed. Yet for the past three years, skiing has become my true love sport. It really gives me the feeling that I can be free,” said Zsófi Lengyel.

Dóra added that she is very proud of everyone who starts skiing and experiences this feeling of freedom that Zsófi described. After training, Zsófi petted the patiently waiting Mokka and headed out into the greenery so that her four-legged companion could also get some exercise. Soon her fiancé, Tamás, joined them. When the ball came out and the sprints began, Zsófi simply said: “You see, she needs freedom just as much as I do.”

About our Foundation:

This year, we celebrate our 20th anniversary. Over the past two decades, we have provided more than 200 guide dogs free of charge.

Please support their training with 1% of your tax!

• Tax Number: 18449149–1–05
• Name: Baráthegyi Vakvezető és Segítő Kutya Iskola Alapítvány

If you provide your mailing address, we will send our next year’s guide dog calendar as a thank-you letter. The 1% tax donation is most easily done through the NAV online interface via the “Ügyfélkapu” (Client Gateway).