FAR Camp - My Impressions

The Active Rehabilitation Foundation (FAR) Camp is a free, ten-day group support program for wheelchair users, designed to help them become more independent from their families. Ideally, it's best to attend such a camp as soon as possible after an accident, once health conditions allow it. Unfortunately, I attended the FAR camp 19 years after a cervical spine fracture, due to a mistaken attitude toward life with quadriplegia and the belief that such workshops wouldn't be helpful or useful.

After much persuasion from friendly Foundation staff, healing from pressure sores, and completing all necessary paperwork, I went to Zielona Góra in July 2016 for a camp with over 20 people from Lower Silesia, Lubusz, and Greater Poland. Most participants had spinal cord injuries at the lumbar or thoracic level, meaning their arms were functional. There were also a few people with cerebral palsy, and only one other person besides me had a cervical spinal cord injury. The staff, which included some FAR employees who were also wheelchair users, volunteers, and interns from physical therapy or occupational therapy, took care of us.

After arriving and settling in at the camp venue, we underwent fitness tests to divide us into groups based on our abilities and skills. Naturally, due to the height of my spinal cord injury, I was placed in Group C, the weakest group.

The activities started early in the morning, right after breakfast, and lasted until the evening, with a break for lunch and over an hour for rest. The sessions included learning wheelchair techniques, exhausting general rehabilitation training, self-care lessons, and relaxing swimming sessions. The sports activities were also great, allowing us to shoot with a bow or air rifle, play floorball, and throw balls in mini-boules. More able-bodied participants could play table tennis or rugby. Every day, there were interesting talks covering topics such as pressure sore prevention, sports for people with disabilities, urinary system risks, and opportunities for further education or employment. One day before lunch was set aside for a trip to downtown Zielona Góra, where we practiced wheelchair mobility techniques.

A very nice idea was the integration activities, where all camp participants were divided into two teams and performed time-based tasks suited to their abilities. The creativity of the staff in coming up with tasks was truly impressive. The cheering and great involvement of each camper provided a lot of excitement, blurring the differences in disability levels and personalities.

The final evening of the camp ended with a celebratory banquet in a warm, almost family-like atmosphere, where we were awarded diplomas and entertained with various games and performances.

When I decided to attend the FAR workshops, I had many concerns about whether the staff could manage all the necessary activities given my high level of disability and whether I would be physically able to participate in all the activities. The essence of this camp is to become more independent and improve oneself, which is not easy with limited hand function. I believe I managed to meet all the challenges of the camp. I learned to eat independently, brush my teeth, partially dress myself, and use an active wheelchair. I would never have achieved this without the FAR staff, interns, and volunteers. I am full of admiration and respect for these young men and women, for their knowledge, skills, and most importantly, their dedication, helpfulness, and commitment. Thanks to their attitude, my disability felt less burdensome, which is priceless to me.

For anyone hesitating about whether attending a FAR camp makes sense, I want to be clear – YES, IT DOES. You will definitely learn something interesting that will make your life easier, and as a bonus, you'll spend time in a wonderful atmosphere. Although there were tough moments, such as some staff occasionally speaking disrespectfully about the weakest and least able participants (which had nothing to do with motivating them to exercise), most participants left with sadness and tears in their eyes that it was over and would never happen again. Without exaggeration, I can say that those 10 days at the FAR camp were some of the happiest since I broke my spine and started using a wheelchair.

If you think such workshops won't help you, you're mistaken. I was stuck in this misconception for 19 years, but it's never too late to change your life and do something for yourself. It's worth finding out if you can handle the camp's rigor and learn something new. Contact a representative of the Active Rehabilitation Foundation in your region, and a competent person will answer all your questions.