In 2015, two former Paralympians launched Access Adventures – a charity created to improve the quality of life for people with physical disabilities by introducing them to adventure sports.   The charity has grown considerably since launch and continues to improve their service provision.

Jane Sowerby and Tim Farr, both on the British Disabled Ski Team representing Great Britain at the Winter Paralympics in Vancouver 2010, know what a positive effect sport can have on people with disabilities. Teaming up with their long-standing friend Clare Williams – a physiotherapist, currently working with injured military at Headley Court – the three established a charity which organizes residential adaptive adventure camps.

Jane explains: “When the doctor delicately told me I’d never walk again, it felt like my life was over. I was completely paralyz ed from the waist down and thought I’d never be able to partake in extreme sports; I was desperate to find some kind of adrenaline rush again. Then, just over a year after my injury, I went on an adaptive ski camp; it was my saviour. There’s an incredible sense of freedom that comes from disabled skiing. The feeling of leaving your wheelchair behind and hitting the slopes is indescribable.”

Jane, Tim and Clare could all see that there was a gap in the market for adaptive adventure camps, and more importantly, a real need to provide and expand the kind of adaptive sports available for disabled people. So, Access Adventures was born.

They began with several waterski and wakeboard camps, but have since expanded the number of adaptive sports on offer to include kayaking, canoeing, land-yachting, downhill biking, hand-biking, skiing, kite-buggying and kitesurfing. May 2017 will also see their first camp catering specifically for under-18s.

Tim comments:  “Not everyone wants to do the adaptive sports, like basketball and athletics, that are readily available. Quite often people are searching for something fun, to challenge themselves and push boundaries. Often these kinds of activities are not easily accessible for people with disabilities”

The Charity Commission awarded Access Adventures charitable status in August 2015 after recognizing the significant service the organization can provide to those with a recent or long-standing physical disability.

Jane continues: “Tim and I have first-hand experience of the huge benefit our camps have to people with physical disabilities and Clare’s extensive experience working in disability rehab provides a fantastic asset to the charity.”

She adds:“I know personally how being involved in adaptive adventure sports can turn your life around and it’s been incredible to witness the same effect on others at our camps.

“Life with a disability can be very daunting and the psychological benefit following involvement in sports cannot be underestimated. It improves confidence and helps everyday challenges seem more manageable.”

They also recognize that the strong social element of the camps is often just as beneficial. Having a disability is not only about the physical limitations it may result in, some people struggle with low self-esteem. Being around people who understand your situation can really help improve this.

Unfortunately, adaptive sports are far more expensive than their able-bodied equivalent, due to the extra equipment and more tailored instruction required. This means that some people with disabilities just can’t afford to access them, and the fantastic benefits they bring. The Access Adventures team has been investigating various fundraising initiatives which will enable them to subsidise these costs and provide bursaries, with the ultimate goal to make the camps accessible for all.

For further information about Access Adventures visit:

https://www.accessadventures.co.uk/

@axSadventures

www.facebook.com/accessadventures

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Wintergreen, VA Adaptive Sports PT and Ski Program

Individuals with spinal cord injuries, amputation, degenerative diseases of the nervous system, MS, muscular dystrophy, CP. spina bifida or other ambulation challenges, are invited to participate in a program at Wintergreen Resort in Virginia that combines Physical Therapy and Adaptive Skiing. Almost anyone who walks with canes, crutches or walkers or uses a wheelchair for mobility can participate in this program.

There is no fee for the equipment, the on-snow lesson or the PT evaluation or rehabilitation sessions. Session 1 is Jan, 12, 19, 26 and Feb. 2. Session 2 is Feb. 9, 16, 23 and March 2. Participants can sign up for a morning or afternoon session.

WAS provide all adaptive ski or ride equipment and a helmet (required for sit-down ski equipment.)

For more information, call (540) 545-7238 or email mwolff@su.edu.

The News Leader, November 26, 2016

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Jane Stevens is described as “the type of person who gives her all to a cause.” Photo / Supplied

PASSIONATE VOLUNTEER’S SKILL GUIDES PEOPLE WITH DIABILITIES INTO JOY OF SKIING

Jane Stevens has an incredible skill. She can teach people with any kind of disability to ski.

It makes no difference “whether it’s physical, sensory or intellectual”, if someone wants to go skiing or snowboarding then Ms Stevens, with Adaptive Snow Sports New Zealand, can make it happen.

Ms Stevens has worked in the field for nearly 30 years.  She began as a passionate volunteer which eventually morphed into fulltime employment.  Those she has helped range from first-time skiers with cerebral palsy to gold medal-winning Paralympians.

For her work in adaptive snow sports, Ms Stevens has been nominated for a Pride of New Zealand Award, in the Community Spirit class.  “Jane is the type of person who gives her all to a cause,” said her nominator.  “She has a wealth of knowledge and is never too busy to help her team of volunteers to further their skills.”

Ms Stevens’ interest in adaptive snow sports was sparked when she met a man in her university physical education class who had a disability but could ski.  “It fascinated me from very early on,” she said. “There was a lot of lateral thinking in those days – that’s what really interested me about it.  “And then it snowballed.”

While travelling the world she was exposed to ski programmes designed to support people with disabilities.  Upon her return to New Zealand she became involved with a local programme which was “at the forefront”.  Part of her work now focuses on recreational skiing – the goal being to get people enjoying snow sport with their families.  “When you get to see kids get out on snow, who perhaps have a visual impairment, and we get them having fun alongside their brothers and sisters, mums and dads, it’s amazing.”

Ms Stevens has also been integral to the rise of Paralympic stars, notably Adam Hall.  “I remember a day at Mt Dobson – and he was pretty young at this stage – I said, ‘Well, if you want a Paralympic medal in skiing, you’ll have to learn’.” Ms Stevens said.  “So we went into a shop, pulled these old skis out and drilled holes in them. It was all hit-and-miss, really.  “We went up to the mountain and it was a powder day, which wasn’t conducive to learning to ski, and we gave it the last we had, trying to figure out how we were going to do it … and then he turns around and wins a gold medal.”

If people want to go down the high-performance track, then Ms Stevens provides them with a pathway.  There is nothing like watching them succeed, she said.  “For me it’s trying to see the whole picture come together and making sure you support every skier, from beginner right through to those who are representing their country.”

The New Zealand Herald, Wed., July 22, 2015

By Eva Corlett

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The American Blind Skiing Foundation (“ABSF”) was founded in 1971 and is a non-profit tax exempt  national organization chartered in the State of Illinois. The purpose of ABSF is to provide an educational skiing program that is open to any blind or visually impaired person in the hope of providing both physical and psychological therapeutic value.  ABSF provides opportunities for the blind and visually impaired to participate in our sport no matter what their level of expertise.  We provide highly qualified guides to visually impaired skiers and snowboarders to participate in our sport, as well as basic instruction for those just learning.  ABSF provides financial assistance to visually impaired individuals who otherwise would not be able to ski due to financial hardship.

In a world where “a picture is worth a thousand words”  it’s easy to understand the barriers that confront a child … who can see no pictures.  So it is with the blind and visually impaired children and adults who ABSF serves.

Having the spirit and fortitude to overcome the daily challenges of life is difficult enough if you have sight, but for the blind, those challenges can be overwhelming.  Confidence in oneself is needed.  The American Blind Skiing Foundation helps build that confidence.

ABSF helps the blind to focus on what they can do … not on what they can’t see. This knowledge and confidence gives them some of the tools they need to successfully face challenges in other aspects of their lives.

ABSF is endorsed by the Chicago Metropolitan Ski Council (CMSC). Some ABSF blind skiers have become proficient in racing and have participated and won medals with the NASTAR National Championships. ABSF welcomes everyone.

More information is at the ABSF’s website, www.absf.org.

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Jim Martinson’s equipment innovations opened up new worlds to multiple generations of aspiring athletes — but there was an ulterior motive along with the altruism.

“I wanted more people to compete against,” he confessed.

That meant everywhere — on his home slopes of Crystal Mountain in Washington, on the road through Natick and Wellesley at the Boston Marathon, or under the Paralympic flag at Albertville, France. In the process, he became a godfather of sorts in the adaptive sports world.

But at the same time, he was all about the race.

So take your pick — contributor or competitor. In either role, Martinson is a worthy addition to the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame, which adds a seven-person class on Saturday during ceremonies in Aspen, Colorado.

Martinson thought he’d left his ski-racing ambitions behind when a landmine explosion on a Vietnam battlefield took away his legs back in 1968. Time and his own determination have proven him wrong.

“I would never have believed for a second that I’d be able to ski after what happened to me,” said the 69-year-old Martinson. “To be in the Hall of Fame, that’s just unreal.”

And yet he’s already played a role in others getting there. Hall of famers such as Sarah Will and Chris Waddell piled up multiple Paralympic gold medals on Martinson’s iterations of the “Shadow” mono-ski. But even more important, that breakthrough opened the door for countless recreational snow enthusiasts to enjoy the sport.

That’s all Martinson had in mind for himself as a kid at Crystal Mountain, where he was a pretty fair racer.

“How good I was, I’m not sure,” he said. “I just knew I wanted to be involved in skiing — ski patrol, manager, instructor, cat driver. Anything.”

A draft notice interrupted that. He’d been in Vietnam for five months — and just promoted to sergeant — when a member of his platoon tripped the explosive during a supply run. Five days later, Martinson woke up in a Yokohama hospital with no legs “and no clue what I was going to be.”

There was anger and depression, and some self-destructive partying. Eventually, Martinson found his way back to school, and through some friends onto a basketball court with the Tacoma Wheelmen. That piqued both his competitive urges and his innovative ones — he and teammate Jim Hernandez collaborating to build competition wheelchairs that were less than half as heavy as the clunky 60-pounders everyone was using. That segued into a racing phase that saw him win the 1981 Boston Marathon (he would also finish second three times) and claim Paralympic track gold medals in 1980 and 1984.

But always, the mountain was calling.

“I’d take my kids up and do the thing I said I’d never do — sit in the lodge and wait all day for skiers,” he recalled.

He was introduced to the Mono Bob, but was frustrated that it couldn’t be used without assistance. So he took it into the shop, cadging a shock from dirt-bike technology and developing what would become the Shadow — a mono-ski that allowed users to get on and off the chairlift independently. His early runs in the trial and error phase were every bit the thrill his gold medal runs would be later.

“It was totally a dream come true,” Martinson said. “I was only up on real light intermediate hills, but I tell you, it was incredible. I’d fall down, get back up, fall down again and go back and tinker a little bit and figure things out.

“I never really realized what I was doing. I never thought the product would get to the level it is today. I’ve heli-skied in Alaska, done the X-Games jumping 60 feet in the air and raced in the Paralympics going 60 miles per hour downhill. Pretty amazing from those meager first days.”

By this time, his company Magic In Motion was manufacturing the gamut of adaptive equipment — chairs for racing, basketball, tennis, golf, rugby, as well as his Shadows. He sold the company for $2.5 million in 1992, though he stayed on until 2000.

And the competition, well, he kept on with that, too.

In 1992, he won downhill gold in the Albertville Paralympic Winter Games — despite putting on “a whole bunch of weight” from the wine-and-cheese breakfasts he shared with Waddell. And at age 63, he was lured into the X-Games — though all he got out of that was a broken clavicle and scapula.

“It’s been incredibly fulfilling, getting back to something I loved forever, but also to know the impact it’s had,” Martinson said.

“There’s a games in Colorado the Veterans Administration puts on, and when I was back there two or three people came up to me skiing on mono-skis wanting to say thanks for making this possible and saying it’s changed their lives. That’s what it’s all about. You see people like Chris and Sara achieve what they have and it’s exciting to think you might have had a little bit to do with that.

“That’s pretty special.”

John Blanchette is a sportswriter from Spokane, Washington. He is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.

Team USA.org

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The Wyoming Adaptive Ski Experience carries a theme of inclusion.  Injured veterans and US military service personnel participate with civilian adaptive skiers, and at the JH segment the adaptive group is integrated with able bodied skiers at one of the renowned JH Mountain Sports Schools “Steep and Deep Camp”.

This very impactful experience is made possible through the combined efforts of:

• Teton Adaptive Sports
• Adaptive Adventures
• Disabled Sports/USA
• 21st Century Warriors
• Grand Targhee Resort
• Jackson Hole Mountain Resort
• Homewood Suites  Jackson Hole

For more information contact Teton Adaptive Sports at 307-699-3554 or tetonadaptive@aol.com.

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October 7, 2015

By Jill Beathard, jbeathard@snowmassun.com

Challenge Aspen is working on a longtime dream of its founder — to spread the adaptive snow sport teaching methods it employs around the globe.

Co-founder Houston Cowan and a group of instructors just returned from Interski 2015, a worldwide snowsports conference, that this year was held for the first time in South America. Cowan gave a presentation about the adaptive sports industry at the conference, and afterward, he and some Challenge Aspen instructors shared their methods with Argentine instructors.

“When I helped co-found Challenge Aspen in 1995 … it was kind of a dream to teach others how to teach,” Cowan said.

Challenge Aspen already has a presence in Bariloche, which started with “Decifio Bariloche” (Challenge Bariloche), a local program modeled after it. Now an organization called Challenge Argentina aims to train instructors at ski resorts throughout the country in adaptive teaching methods.

The alternating winters have helped the program grow as Aspen instructors have been able to go to Argentina in the summer, while their trainees have been able to come here in the winter, Cowan said.

Challenge Argentina invited the Snowmass Village-based nonprofit as a delegation to Interski, and Cowan was asked to give a keynote address. Cowan chose to speak on how ski areas can benefit from developing adaptive snow sports programs, using the partnership Aspen Skiing Co. and Challenge have as an example.

One in six families have a member with a disability, Cowan said. Challenge Aspen integrates family members into the activities it does with its participants, and Cowan stressed that as part of the nonprofit’s — and the ski area’s — success.

“I’ve never met someone who didn’t want to help people with disabilities,” Cowan said. “We happen to be in an industry that’s very expensive for anyone. You can’t look at it as a charity all the time. People with disabilities … can bring a lot to the financial aspect of ski areas.”

Challenge Aspen also took adaptive equipment to Argentina and offered on-snow clinics to interested Interski attendees. Following the conference, the group returned to Bariloche, where former Challenge Aspen instructors Charley Phelan and Bobby Palm led eight instructors from four different ski areas in a four-day intensive workshop in adaptive instruction. Their goal was to leave AADIDES, the Argentine equivalent of the Professional Ski Instructors of America, with a framework for certifying and training instructors in adaptive methods.

“It is my goal, a lifetime goal, to create a passion and accessibility for people with disabilities,” said Phelan, who with Palm now owns and operates a business training instructors in adaptive teaching methods throughout the world. “It was the trip of my lifetime so far, because I hope that it’s still building and that there’ll be another trip and that it’ll be better and it’ll be more successful.”

This winter, three Argentine ski areas plan to send instructors to Snowmass to train with Challenge Aspen. Representatives from other countries who were at Interski were also invited to participate. All part of a shared goal of helping people in other countries to have the same life-changing experiences that Challenge Aspen is able to provide here.

“We have no hidden agenda,” Cowan said. “We’re not trying to make any money. We’re just trying to teach others (so that) they don’t have to come to Aspen, hopefully they can do it in their own backyard.”

Aspen Times, October 8, 2015

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Sports Center Facilities for Disabled Skiers

This wing of the National Sports Center for the Disabled is located in a building at the base of Winter Park. The adaptive skiing facility has equipment that can accommodate a wide variety of disabilities. This facility frequently works with blind skiers and skiers who have amputated limbs.

Disabled Skiing Programs

Lessons and assistance are offered on an individual and group lesson basis. Families of any size are welcome to book a family lesson; this is sometimes recommended so that family members can learn how to assist with the special equipment that is used to ski. Many families enjoy this opportunity because it is a unique experience, that often turns into a life-long passion and obsession.

There are also several adaptive skiing groups that meet on a weekly basis throughout the winter. These lesson groups will typically have several skiers/riders with similar disabilities in a group setting.

Handicapped Parking

There is a handicapped parking lot just across the road from the main base area and approximately 100-200 yards from the sports center building. You can view parking information on the Winter Park Parking Information page.

More Activities

There is a wide variety of activities that are offered by the center for the disabled. A few of the popular activities besides skiing include horseback riding, snow shoeing, snowboarding and more.

Activity reservations are recommended. You can reserve space by calling 303-316-1518.

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Keystone has a year-round adaptive program and is run through the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center.  Headquartered at The Mountain House at Keystone Resort at the base of Discovery Lift, the Keystone Adaptive Center provides alpine, skiing and snowboarding lessons to people with disabilities and other special needs.   Lessons are conducted on a personalized, one-on-one basis, and include all instruction, on-hill guiding and support, specialized equipment and lift ticket.  The Center is affiliated with the Professional Ski Instructors of America and provides all disciplines of adaptive skiing, including four-track, visually impaired, three-track, mono-skiing and bi-skiing.  In the summer months, the Center also provides programs in activities such as handcycling, rock climbing and river rafting.

The Keystone Adaptive Center is a private, non-profit educational center and is operated by the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, a world-renowned adaptive sports program that has provided a wide range of adaptive outdoor experiences for over 30 years.

Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC)
Since 1976, the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center has been providing empowering outdoor experiences to people of all abilities. The Center offers adaptive ski programs at Breckenridge and Keystone Resorts, adaptive outdoor education camps at a campus in Breckenridge and wilderness programs throughout Summit County and the region.  Activities are available year round and include skiing, snowboarding, ropes course, challenge activities, rock climbing, river rafting, canoeing and many others, all adapted to be accessible to all abilities.

For information, call 800-383-2632 or 970-453-6422, or visit www.boec.org for more information.

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Names, faces, equipment and disabilities constantly vary and instructors need to be on their toes in order to keep up. But there’s one thing that always remains the same: the learning curve. Surprisingly, we’re not talking about the skills the student learns on the mountain. Rather, we’re referencing the life lessons that adaptive instructors learn from their students.

1.  We’re In This Together

Life likes to throw us lemons, and it can be tough to remember that we don’t need to battle this world alone. Alan Hammersmith, a third-year volunteer adaptive ski instructor at Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, learned this recently from one of his students.

Sara*, a student with slight behavioral disabilities, arrived at Vermont Adaptive as a total newbie to winter sports. And as luck would have it, the beginner chair lift was broken on the day that Hammersmith took her up the mountain. Instead, the two of them hopped on a bigger chair lift and traversed over to the easier green trails.

 Naturally, Sara struggled. Not only was she brand new to skiing, but she was also high up on the mountain with a ski instructor she had just met that morning. She fell down numerous times and Hammersmith began to worry that an emotional meltdown was coming. Fortunately, he remained calm, acknowledged her reasons for frustration and provided basic tips to help her navigate the scary hillside.

With Hammersmith’s help, Sara began to get the hang of things. She learned to control her speed which automatically made the descent less terrifying. When they arrived at the base, Hammersmith prepared to take off his skis and head to the lodge with his student. But, lo and behold, Sara wanted to ski more! In fact, she was even attempting small jumps by the end of the day!

We all face tough decisions and scary circumstances on a daily basis, but it is helpful to know that you always have someone there to support you while you fall–even if it is a new person in your life! 

2.  Determination Will Get You Through This

When things take a turn for the worse, it is often easier to just give up. Throw in the towel. Call it a day. But rarely does that make the situation better, as Amber Tierney learned from one of her adaptive students.

Tierney began working with adaptive athletes when she was ten-years-old and has been with Vermont Adaptive for the past two seasons. However, it’s one of her early lessons that stands out in her mind. As with Hammersmith, Tierney’s student, Jennifer*, was new to winter sports and very uncomfortable on the mountain. She was nervous on her skis and grew discouraged every time she fell down. Yet despite her fears, Jennifer continued coming out every week and Tierney continued working with her.

Over time, Jennifer chipped away at her discomfort and grew to love skiing. These days, she is a fantastic skier and skis with her family since she no longer requires adaptive lessons. It would have been very easy for Jennifer to just quit when her nerves got the best of her or when that one big fall kind of hurt. However, she was determined to figure this two-plank world out and her determination guided her to success.

 Be Thankful

More than anything, students teach adaptive instructors how to be thankful in life. “It is so inspiring to see people defy the odds of an injury or an illness every day,” Tierney says. “I have learned to be thankful for what I have. Every person has their own challenges to overcome, and if they can do it, so can I.”

*Names changed for privacy.

Huffington Post, 3/27/15

By Heather Balogh / @AColoradoGal

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