I'm excited to share my newest adventure, one where I tried a "new" type of "movement." During school break last week, my family visited Windham Mountain and I - skiing - for the first time. Wow, did I love it.
The lesson was offered by the Adaptive Sports Foundation, which has been working with special needs skiiers (even many who are visually impaired) since the 1980s. Their program is so popular we initially couldn't get a reservation (They were teaching kids from United Cerebral Palsy and the NYC Hospital of Special Surgeries). However, they called Friday morning due to a cancellation, and I was in!
I had so many firsts that day, from riding a chair lift to gliding on snow over a ski, all while having my twin sister and parents along for the ride.
I had a team of five instructors alongside me on the mountain. They surrounded me while one helped me steer. He was telling my parents, "It was all her! She was skiing, I was just helping her steer."
The staff was highly trained and try to customize the ski-seat to ensure the safest ride for every child. When they got the ski equipment ready for my lesson, my parents noticed they didn't have a chair with the head support that our own FireFly "Go-To chair" offered. We asked if we might add it to their ski equipment, and they happily strapped it into their own gear.
Following my day on the slopes, the instructors raved about the chair and said they had never seen one like it. They shared stories of children who struggled with head control and saw how having chairs like this in their program would improve the experience and safety of many riders.
We came away from the entire experience inspired and wanting to help. We sent a letter to our Madeline's Movement Board suggesting we donate a Firefly "Go-To chair" so that children like me could continue to experience skiing in safety and comfort.
The Board approved, and we sent the Go-To Chair to the Adaptive Sports Foundation. They received it and sent back a glowing thank you letter.
I can't wait to go back, hit the slopes again and see the chair in action.
