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Disabled skiers getting a lift at Table Mountain

Mar 12, 2017 | 12:00 PM

Everyone deserves a chance to hit the slopes, and the Saskatchewan Adaptive Snow Ski Club (ASSC) is working to give everyone in the Battlefords area equal access.

Table Mountain will be hosting its first promotional day March 19 to get more skiers with disabilities and physical challenges out on the hill.

Jaimie Smith-Windsor, vice chair with the Saskatchewan Rivers Public School Division, said those with disabilities will have access to different equipment to suit their needs, including sit-skis, outriggers and mono-skis.

“The whole idea is to just meet every skier where they’re at,” Smith-Windsor said, “[We’ll] match them with equipment and instructors who are certified through the Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers and set some goals and have some fun for the day.”

The idea started when a small group of parents reached out to Table Mountain and the ACCS to make skiing more accessible, and Smith-Windsor said it’s a program they’re considering keeping around.  

“We’re hoping to launch a formal program next year at Table Mountain, so this is the first step to float a balloon and see who comes out and who’s interested in pursuing para-alpine sports or continuing on with adaptive skiing,” she said. “Anybody can ski. We just have to think through it in a different way, and it’s an important part of a high quality of life, getting out there and trying new things.”

Table Mountain and the ACCS are sponsoring the event and providing lift passes to those who pre-register and meet the criteria. 

 

Katherine.svenkeson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @ksvenkeson