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coskigirl

Skiing the powder
Skier
SkiTalk Supporter
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
4,591
Location
Evergreen, CO
A few years ago the mother of one of the athletes I coached lost portions of both legs and arms to sepsis and Toxic Shock Syndrome. She nearly lost her life. She has recovered well but now she’ll be able to ski too! She was fitted with new prosthetic legs that use mountain bike shocks that will absorb terrain like bumps. How cool are these? I’m so excited for her!

https://www.facebook.com/Limb-Preservation-Foundation-159829564676/?fref=mentions&pnref=story#


564A26E4-C0F8-4156-82E7-4B07E724E8C5.jpeg
 

crgildart

Gravity Slave
Skier
Joined
Nov 12, 2015
Posts
16,325
Location
The Bull City
I got to know a kid with a prosthetic who skied back in the late 1980s. I had seen a few adaptive skiers back on those days but hadn't met one yet. His device was pretty advanced even back then... Wasn't easy to tell he had one at all. I hired him to work in retail store I was managing at the time. We sold luggage stacked on shelves floor to ceiling with library ladders. He had no trouble getting up and down the ladders dragging big suitcases and boxes around. One time a pin came out and he was stuck.. Had to have his girlfriend bring some crutches to get from the store to his car. Also, SitSki Andy had a cool thread about traveling and competing in adaptive ski cross awhile back and posted about having to take a courtesy sled ride when his device broke. That said, we're all at the mercy of gear and a gear failure out on the mountain could strand any of us... Kudos to this lady. I can only imagine how exciting it must be to see this new reality. I hope she joins and posts some trip reports. Would love to ski with her someday :)
 

Carolinacub

Yes thats a Cubs hat I'm wearing
Skier
Joined
May 2, 2017
Posts
794
Location
Asheville NC
I've worked the mountain a couple of times when adaptive days are going on. It's absolutely amazing to see all the different people out there and also to see the wide range of adaptive devices and/or techniques that are being used.
 

dave-o

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Feb 1, 2017
Posts
29
Respect, amazing, Inspirational and humbling...Amen.

That look on her face is like a kid at Christmas.
 

oldschoolskier

Making fresh tracks
Skier
Joined
Dec 6, 2015
Posts
4,225
Location
Ontario Canada
I’m at a fair bit of Para swim events and like skiing it is amazing what they can do, like in skiing. The only limit is the one imposed by the individual that faces the challenge.

I think we able body individuals (better yet all disability or not) should learn something, the limit is only what you let it to be.

:thumb::thumb::hail:
 

john petersen

working through minutia to find the big picture!
Instructor
Joined
May 8, 2017
Posts
327
Location
Eastern
This is....amazing...Im at a loss.....total respect and admiration...the human spirit is an incredibly wonderful and inspiring thing.

JP
 

Carolinacub

Yes thats a Cubs hat I'm wearing
Skier
Joined
May 2, 2017
Posts
794
Location
Asheville NC
I've been enjoying the reactions from all of you out there and I would like to make a suggestion. Expand what you are doing in the skiing world by volunteering with your local mountain when they have an adaptive day. The enjoyment you'll receive by being involved is absolutely unbelievable and at least here we get to jump lift lines. Not that jumping lift lines should be the reason you do this.
One of the big reasons I became involved in the local patrol was that it gave me something concrete to do while on the hill. After a while going up and coming down got a little boring. Taking a day out of just going to the hill and skiing and actually contributing to the enjoyment of others is amazing.
 

mallthus

Booting up
Skier
Joined
Nov 3, 2017
Posts
35
My 13 year old has no control of his dorsiflexors and so he wears a brace for normal walking and standing. When he discovered a ski boot essentially does the same thing his brace does, he decided skiing was his sport. And no small part of this realization is because of great adaptive programs at Breckenridge and Winter Park. These people are doing good work that’s far too often unrecognized.
 

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