March 16, 2023
Living the Impossible
Living the Impossible: Mountain Shadows Adaptive Ski Program
Mountain Shadows Adaptive Ski Program
by Sheryl Wilde
“Imagine what it’s like to ski down mountains at 70 miles per hour. Now imagine what it’s like to do that blind,” says three-time blind Paralympian, Danelle Umstead.
Danelle’s motto is to “live her impossible every day”.
And, thanks to The Mountain High Adaptive Ski Program, our Mountain Shadows residents are living their impossible too!
Mountain High’s Adaptive Ski Program was built upon a mission – to help persons with disabilities develop new skills and build self-confidence. The program serves individuals with a variety of disabilities, including amputees, and those who are blind, deaf, and/or quadriplegic.
Adaptive skiing has many physical, psychological, and therapeutic benefits. In addition to providing a sense of freedom that is difficult to duplicate in other sports, adaptive skiing helps to improve balance, overall physical fitness, confidence, motivation and social skills.
“When Mountain Shadows brings their residents to Mountain High, it’s always the highlight of the week,” says Terry Bottorff, Adaptive Resort Trainer and Director of Snow Lessons.
“Thanks to funding from the Mountain Shadows Foundation, our residents have been sit-skiing at Mountain High for more than 20 years,” adds Vickie Perdaris, Mountain Shadows Activities Director.
“The residents love it. They go down the hill and they’re just screaming! Well, Jasmine is non-verbal, but she smiles the whole way down. And Annie yells ‘wooooooooo!’ all the way down.
“Ricardo is a new resident and he had never been skiing before. He said, ‘I like all the trees! And the sky! It’s beautiful! The trees are beautiful!’ He wants to go again.
“The best part of my job is to watch the happiness on the faces of the residents. That’s the best part.”
Whether carving their way down a mountain, or participating in one of our many adaptive activities, our Mountain Shadows residents live their impossible every day.
The Mountain Shadows CARE program provides recreational and social experiences to residents, adding meaning and richness to their lives. Funding is provided by the Mountain Shadows Foundation.
It’s easy for you to help us continue to provide activities that improve the quality of our residents’ lives. Here are some ways you can help ensure these crucial activities can continue for years to come:
Make a one-time donation today.
Make a monthly or annual contribution.
To learn more about the Mountain Shadows Foundation Legacy Society, to include us in your estate plan, or to let us know if you have already designated Mountain Shadows to receive a legacy gift, please contact Mandy Huiras, Director of Development at: mhuiras@mtnshadows.org, or visit our website by clicking here.