At the other end of the spectrum
from beginning skiers, or the child needing motivation, are the
elite skiers of the National Ability Center's Disabled Race Team.
With an eye on the 2002 Paralympics, to be held in the Ability
Center's own back yard of the Wasatch Mountains skiers who are
physically disabled from across the country have begun to relocate
to the Park City area. Often training side-by-side with U.S. Disabled
Team Members and Paralympic Medalists Chris Waddell and Muffy
Davis, these up-and-coming racers are working with Ability Center
Coach Julie Minahan to fine tune their technique, build their
strength, and reach goals which might eventually land them in
the Salt Lake Paralympic Games.
While athletes are turning to the
Ability Center as a means to pursue their Paralympic dreams, likewise
the Salt Lake Olympic Organizing Committee (SLOC) is turning to
the Ability Center as a local Paralympic and adapted sports resource.
The Ability Center's Executive Director, Meeche White, serves
on the SLOC's Committee for Accessibility, tracking compliance
and accessibility needs throughout a multitude of venues. Additionally,
the Ability Center's Huntsman Cup Races in January, one of the
nation's largest alpine events for athletes with disabilities,
once again serve as a pre-event for the various departments looking
to implement and support the Paralympic Games. From the Paralympic
staff, to the Medical Services Division, the Olympic Planning
Team of the V.A. Medical Center, and the United States Ski Association,
personnel are seeking access to both racers and coaches in an
effort to fully understand requirements and logistics of working
with these elite athletes.
Serving as a Paralympic resource
and hosting a model event such as The Huntsman Cup are exciting
experiences for the Ability Center. There is a tremendous opportunity
ahead to showcase elite skiers and to educate people throughout
the world as to the accomplishments and abilities of Paralympic
athletes. The Ability Center is proud to be apart of that effort.
Bigger Than She Expected
Spanish ski instructors Carlos
and Roberto prep 11-year-old Javier for his first-ever ski adventure.
Meeche White
When
Executive Director Meeche White packed her compact car with everything
she owned in 1981 and left Florida to begin an internship at the
Disabled Ski Program in Winter Park, CO, she had no idea where
it would take her. Three years later she was headed to Park City,
where she coordinated Park City's first adapted ski program out
of her dinning room. And today, Meeche is helping to spearhead
an effort to ensure adapted skiing is available around the world.
Starting in Utah, Meeche has overseen the National Ability Center's
expansion to include satellite programs at four other Utah ski
resorts-Brian Head Ski Resort in southern Utah, Deer Valley Resort
and The Canyons in Park City, as well as Brighton Ski Area in
Salt Lake's Big Cottonwood Canyon-all offer adapted skiing for
individuals with physical and/or developmental disabilities. With
assistance of both federal and corporate grants, the Ability Center
has outfitted each of the resorts with adapted equipment ranging
from bi-skis and tethers to mono-skis and outriggers. Professional
instructors from each of the satellite programs receive training
in the use of specialized equipment through the Center's instructor
training clinics, as well as skills and techniques necessary to
teach students with a wide range of disabilities. While the Ability
Center will assist in arranging lessons at the satellite programs,
scheduling is generally handled directly through each resort's
ski school.
However, the vision for accessible
recreation does not stop at the Utah border. As the second largest
adapted sports program in the world, it is natural that the National
Ability Center has become a role model and mentor for developing
organizations worldwide. The Center has been instrumental in launching
an adapted ski program in Sierra Nevada, Spain, working with local
personnel to develop the administrative structure, secure sponsors,
and assist in the purchase of their adapted equipment. Each of
the past three years, the Ability Center has lead a team of some
of America's finest adapted instructors to the Spanish Resort
for a week of training clinics, including introductory and advanced
teaching techniques, as well as use and maintenance of the specialized
equipment.
Likewise, the Center's staff
has guided development of programs in Predazzo, Italy, and Poznan,
Poland. Twice during the past year Meeche White has traveled to
the Predazzo program SportABILI-openly modeled after the Ability
Center-once with a team of American racers as the Italian organization
launched its race program, and once as the keynote speaker at
the SportABILI International Adapted Sports Conference. Over the
past few years, the Ability Center has had the opportunity to
host representatives from the Polish program on site in Park City
to observe operations and study teaching techniques. Additionally,
the Center has worked with instructors, participants, and guests
from Australia, Africa, Mexico, Russia, and other countries.
With dedication, perseverance,
and continued support, the National Ability Center has been able
to introduce adaptive recreation-
al techniques to those who never dreamed skiing and other activities
might be possible. And it is Meeche's goal to continue this pur-
suit. She is currently researching the possibility of helping
to establish programs in South America, and will continue to host
individuals from around the world at the Park City location.
| M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Randy Anderson  Each January for the past twelve years, a group of individuals from the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center of the University of Texas has made a very special journey from Houston to Park City, Utah. There, pediatric cancer patients, medical staff, and often family members enjoy a week of skiing and winter fun with the National Ability Center. For many of the young skiers, the trip to Park City Mountain Resort is a wonderful opportunity to take time away from cancer treatments at home and enjoy the pristine beauty of the surrounding mountains. The trip is the brainchild of Norman Jaffe, MD, a pediatric oncologist and full professor at the University of Texas, who in Boston had treated Ted Kennedy, Jr. when he was diagnosed with cancer more than two decades ago. Upon learning of the young Kennedy's adventures on the slopes, Dr. Jaffe concluded that skiing would be an excellent form of physical rehabilitation for his pediatric patients in Texas. Nineteen years later, he still accompanies each group of 15-20 patients and their support team on the annual trip. Over the years, however, it seems that the physical rehabilitation aspect of the program has almost taken a back seat to the psychosocial rehabilitation that begins on the trip. "We appreciate this trip because it gives us hope being around others (cancer patients and survivors). We learn from each other and help each other," states Angela, whose 13-year-old son, Jesse, is an above-the-knee amputee. Hallie Zietz, RN, CPNP, Trip Coordinator, refers to a friendship that blossomed during the week between the family of a young child recently blinded by a brain tumor and the family of a teenager in the same situation. The teen and his mother were able to address many of the questions and concerns the younger family had in regard to helping their child grow-up and, eventually, letting go. The National Ability Center also plays a significant role in the process of rehabilitation for the young patients. Specially trained professional ski instructors, and a host of volunteers, work diligently to ensure each child has a successful experience on the slopes, as each on-snow accomplishment has a significant impact on the child's self-esteem and outlook. The opportunity to instill pride and confidence for succeeding at a sport that many non-disabled people are unable to do is invaluable. Children who began the trip withdrawn and isolated learn they are not so different after all. Suddenly they feel connected, and by week's end are an active part of the group, playing games and joining in conversation. The National Ability Center's professional instructors with disabilities, such as James, an amputee who 3-tracks, or Mike who teaches from a mono-ski, also serve as important role models for participants. Witnessing these instructors manipulate the adaptive equipment, effortlessly negotiate the Resort, and attain a level of proficiency where they are able to teach others, demonstrates first-hand that a disability need not be a limitation. This is an important lesson for the children, most of whom are battling fears and emotions of only recently becoming amputees. To take part in the ski trip, patients must first be recommended by their physicians. Once selected, the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center sponsors the trip for an entourage of forty-seven patients, family members, chaperones, and medical staff-all through proceeds from the Center's Children's Art Project. The Center will sponsor a child for two of the annual trips and will allow those anxious to continue beyond that to fund their own way, space permitting. Jesse and Angela are back for their third visit to the National Ability Center, finding this year's personal investment well worth it. "We love it here, every minute of it," states Angela. "When we get to the top of the mountain and look at the beauty around us, we forget all our problems. And when we get home, we close our eyes and remember all the love and beauty, and the trip carries on." |
