2011 Halti Ability Ski Challenge

If you weren't at Park City Mountain Resort with us yesterday, you missed out!

We had a great time at the 23rd Annual Halti Ability Ski Challenge this weekend. With twenty teams and nearly 200 people participating as skiers, snowboarders, volunteers and other supporters, this year was a great success!

We've uploaded nearly 200 photos to a public album on ourNational Ability Center Facebook page. Check out the album, tag yourself and your friends.

The Halti Ability Ski Challenge was also featured in the Salt Lake Tribune. There are more photos there if you'd like to see more!

Thanks to our sponsors of this year's event, as well. Without the participation of great companies like you who give back to the community and believe in our mission, we would not be celebrating our 25th anniversary as an organization. Most importantly, we wouldn't help the thousands of people whose lives are touched each year through our programs. Thank you for all you do for us and for our participants. You do make a difference, and you should be proud of that. Thank you to Halti Skiwear, Del Taco, Flippin' Burgers, Audi, Not Normal Printing, Clockwork Cafe, Walmart, Atomic, Park City Mountain Resort and Monster Energy Drinks for your sponsorships and support.

If you haven't already, Like us on Facebook to learn about the lives we're changing

every day.

We look forward to seeing everyone again next year for the 24th Annual Ability Ski Challenge!

One Step 2011

Chicago's One Step at a Time works specifically with children who have survived cancer and children who are still battling cancer. We worked with 30 students this past week. It was an amazing week working with this group and teaching students beginning to very advanced steps to skiing. We had students on mono-skis and bi-skis, and other students were stand-up skiers. The final banquet was a great time of stories and laughter about the week as a whole from the students and the instructors perspective. These students made an impact on me, and I am sure their outlook on life rubbed off on the people they came in contact with. Until next time One Step, keep your outlook positive and make the world we live in a better place as you have showed us all this past week.

Here is a slide show of some of the activities that One Step participated in last week. See you all next year.



-Ben
NAC AmeriCorps Member

Cancer Survivors from South Hit the Slopes (again!)

Cancer survivors from M.D. Anderson Cancer Center (MDA) in Texas joined the National Ability Center for a week of skiing, snowboarding and winter recreation last week. MDA has been bringing cancer survivors to the National Ability Center since 1989. Last week 12 people came to learn how to ski/board or perfect their skills on the mountain.

The individuals who came through M.D. Anderson went through treatments at the hospital. Some of the treatments have involved the individuals losing a limb in their fight with cancer. I talked to some of the group members, and they have not let the fact of a lost limb or cancer slow them down. They are instead stepping forward and taking advantage of the adaptive ways to stay on the mountain.

Most individuals went three-tracking, which means they ski with one ski and hold outriggers on their arms for balance and steering. A few individuals skied on the bi-ski, which involves sitting in a bucket seat while using the outriggers for balance. I also saw one person on our new KartSki. This is a rig that uses handles that are attached to the ski to steer while in a sitting position.

Hayden is nine years old and lost his leg a year-and-a-half ago. Hayden and his instructor, Amanda, where sitting on the bench outside the National Ability Center and Hayden did not want to be done for the day. Amanda explained to him that once you start skiing, it is good to end the day on a good run and give your body rest in order for you to be ready to tackle the next day of skiing. Hayden really wanted to stay out and ski the night away. It was neat to see his desire to keep learning and practicing to get better. I later heard that Hayden is continuing to get better, and he never seems tired.

The group will be skied for a full week before returning home to the South. Look for pictures on our Facebook page next week to see the group and the things they enjoyed here in Park City.

Happy New Year!

The snow is falling fast in Park City, and our programs are in full swing during the winter months. The National Ability Center's Ski & Snowboard Center is gearing up for Session II on January 9th. The equestrian program started Winter Session II today.

If you know of individuals who would benefit from participating in our programs please refer them to our website at www.DiscoverNAC.org.

We thrive thanks to our great volunteers, so if you have an interest in volunteering please let us know and we'll give your more information. Look at www.DiscoverNAC.org for a list of programs where you might use your talents to benefit individuals with disabilities who participate at the National Ability Center.

I would like to ask for some help in this new of 2011. I am looking for stories about participants, volunteers or even stories from the staff at the National Ability Center. I would like to highlight some of the individuals that participate in programs or make our programs possible. If you have a funny, serious, or inspirational story that you would like to share, please e-mail me at benh@DiscoverNAC.org. I am working on making this blog something that highlights individuals and a place we can learn about the people we work for and with. I look forward to hearing and posting some great stories in the coming months.

Thank you for your help, and Happy New Year.

-Ben
National Ability Center
AmeriCorps Member

National Ability Center Ski and Snowboard Center

The National Ability Center had its staff BBQ at the Ski & Snowboard Center a couple of weeks ago. The BBQ was in celebration of the renovations and hard work that many people put into the off season to make the Ski & Snowboard Center a little better.

The equipment room is more space efficient with new places to store ski equipment.

The ski team now has its own locker room to help store its equipment, a place where the team can have meetings, and a separate place for the coaches and team members to hang out.

There is a new locker room that they are calling the Education Locker Space. Instructors will now have more room to store their personal skis, snowboards and different gear that they will be using to teach participants.

The main desk area has been opened up. There is now more desk room and more room in general area where the couches are.

Thank you to all of those who put in long hours to make the Ski & Snowboard Center renovations a success. I am sure the participants and their families will notice the changes and the new feel of a renovated Ski & Snowboard Center.

We are looking forward to a great season together. The returning volunteer training has now taken place at Park City Mountain Resort, and we look forward to seeing many familiar and new faces on mountain this season.

If you are an individual or know of an individual that would like to take part in lessons at the National Ability Center's Ski and Snowboard Center please log onto our website, and check out the programs and the different adaptive equipment we use to teach participants on mountain at DiscoverNAC.org.

If you have a friend that would like to volunteer with the National Ability Center's Ski & Snowboard Center please have them look at our website for the opportunities available at DiscoverNAC.org.

World Cancer Day

World Cancer Day 2010, led by UICC (International Union Against Cancer), its members and with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO), will raise awareness of cancer prevention.

Each year, over 12 million people receive a cancer diagnosis and 7.6 million die of the disease.

The good news is that approximately 40% of cancers are potentially preventable.

Today, UICC launched the campaign "Cancer can be prevented too", focusing on how the risk of developing cancer can significantly be reduced through simple measures:

• Stop tobacco use and avoid exposure to second-hand smoke
• Limit alcohol consumption
• Avoid excessive sun exposure
• Maintain a healthy weight, through eating healthily and exercising regularly
• Protect against cancer-causing infections

According to Love Hope Strength, cancer causes more deaths worldwide than AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria combined.

Many cancer survivors come to the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah each year to participate in our programs. Recently, we welcomed back a group with the University of Texas' M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. This group of young cancer survivors had all had some kind of cancer that resulted in a physical disability. Being a teenager is hard enough! Being a teenager who has had to fight cancer and then have your physical abilities changed by it face an even tougher road. Through our programs, these teens can find confidence by getting out with their peers and accomplishing things they never would have dreamed. Check out their video and the slideshow of their 2010 visit at the bottom of this post.

This week we have welcomed a local group called Un-Limb-ited. These local teens have also battled cancer and other illnesses that have taken away limbs, but not hope nor life! We'll post some of their photos and videos soon.

In two weeks we will welcome back another great group of youth battling cancer. One Step at a Time is based in Chicago and brings teens from around the Midwest to Park City each year for a chance to escape some misguided peer pressure and build new friendships. New friends and new hobbies, like adaptive skiing and snowboarding, can help teens to put their energy toward positive things. There is no room for pessimism on the Greatest Snow on Earth!

If you know someone who has a physical disability because of cancer, please let them know that they, too, are welcome at the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah. Here, we help people everyday to discover their abilities.

2010 MD Anderson Ski Trip Slide Show from National Ability Center on Vimeo.

MD Anderson's 2010 trip to ski at Park City Mountain Resort with the National Ability Center.

A Rewarding Thank You

One of the most rewarding parts about being involved with the National Ability Center is watching families enjoy recreation together. Recently a family joined us for the fourth consecutive year on the ski slopes. After they returned home, they wrote us this great letter about the experience they had in our adaptive ski program.

Dear Mr. Schoon,

Please find enclosed a check to support the wonderful services the National Ability Center supplies to a population often forgotten. As a family, we have had the great fortune and pleasure to take part in many of the activities offered throughout the year.

I would like to draw your attention to a particular group of people who have made a major impact on our lives and the lives of our children. The winter ski school and its instructors and organizers have made the winters our favorite time of year! Jen C. is always ready to help and is, by far, the most organized person I have ever had the pleasure with which to deal. Kristen and Tracy are fabulous and are always ready to help or simply offer a smiling face first thing in the morning. Our prince in shining armor is Phil B. He has worked with our son for four winters in a row and we are pleased to say that he has now achieved his goal and skied a black diamond. In addition to teaching our son to ski, Phil has taught him so much more. He is the type of role model you hope to find for your son. He is patient, careful, and most importantly, VERY COOL. Our son looks forward to seeing him each time we come to Park City. And so do we.

We hope this contribution makes things just a bit easier for you and your amazing staff to continue the incredible work you do each day.


Fondly,

Debi and Harry

Thank you for the kind words and the generous donation! We look forward to seeing you on the Greatest Snow on Earth again very soon.

If you have an experience you would like to share with us, we'd love to hear from you! You can email us at info (at) DiscoverNAC.org, or you can send us a letter to PO Box 682799, Park City, Utah, 84068.

2009 Hartford Ski Spectacular

Many representatives from the National Ability Center are in Colorado participating in the Hartford Ski Spectacular this week. Program Director/Competition Program Manager Ellen Adams, program manager Kim Millikan, NAC co-founder and former CEO Meeche White and others are teaching lessons, attending workshops and sharing ideas with other great organizations who work in the adaptive ski industry. Kim took a moment this morning to share a couple of experiences from the week.

My week has been fantastic. I've been teaching all week. My main student is a veteran who lost his arm in Afghanistan. He rocks. He described to me the events surrounding the attack and his reaction with humor and candor. Not only did he expect to die, but he was laughing about what a great life he has had (holding his jaw to his face as he did so). He took snowboarding lessons at the Winter Sports Clinic for Disabled American Veterans last year, but thought he would not recall as much as he did. He came to our first lesson on a beginner board (designed for the first few lessons) and a humble attitude. We very quickly went through the entire beginner progression and it became more and more clear that he was definitely NOT a beginner. I made him exchange the board after the first 3 hours. The next day we were gliding smoothly down steep blue runs all over the mountain. Although the temps and wind were brutal we rode a full day. Yesterday with temps in the single digits (at the bottom of the hill) we found our first stash of fresh unskiied gentle powder and he attacked it the same way he has everything else on the hill. He bounces right up when he actually falls, asks for drills to improve every tiny aspect of his riding, and smiles from ear to ear when he talks about going home and showing his friends and family how to ride. Often people either get down to business and focus on the riding or enjoy being on the mountain and the beauty. He manages to do both! Great!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of teaching a lesson to one of the spouses of a veteran. She rocked. From moment one I liked her. She looked at me and said "if my husband can be out there riding black diamonds with a brain injury I should be able to at least get myself out there". Needless to say, her attitude and spirit were amazing, and I was just as giddy as she when she started lining beautiful turns down her second run.

Stay tuned for more updates coming soon!

No Excuse Not To Ski or Board!

While skiing is the biggest program at the NAC, many people in Utah have never hit the slopes on more than a sled in the backyard. If you're one of those people, you don't know what you're missing! Park City Mountain Resort is trying to help you out, though. Read on to find out about their new program to help you become as enamored with the Greatest Snow on Earth as the thousands of people who come from around the world each winter to ski or board Utah's powder.

PARK CITY, UTAH (December 2, 2009) – Park City Mountain Resort announces “StartNOW”, a ski and snowboard school program for first-time skiers and riders designed to increase snowsport participation among Utah residents, ages six and up. Park City Mountain Resort’s StartNOW program offers participants five days of instruction, equipment rentals and lift access for only $25 per day.

“Research shows that a low percentage of Utah residents participate in snowsports. We want to encourage them to experience the magic of skiing and snowboarding,” said Tom Pettigrew, director of skier services for Park City Mountain Resort. “We determined that we needed to develop a program that provided a low entry barrier to trying the sport. At just $25 per day, our StartNOW program is an exceptional value and with a maximum of five students per class, participants receive personalized attention from their instructors.”

The StartNOW Program is offered to all Utah residents six and older that have never skied or snowboarded and includes an afternoon ski or snowboard lesson, rentals and a lift ticket for $25. After completion of the first StartNOW lesson, participants are invited to return to the Resort up to four additional times during the 2009-2010 winter season. Return participants will be able to enjoy any combination of an afternoon lesson, rentals and lift ticket for the low price of $25.

The StartNOW program is being offered all winter season long beginning December 4, 2009, with blackout dates from December 18, 2009 - January 3, 2010 and February 13-20, 2010. Interested participants are required to sign up online at startnow.pcmr.com. Space is limited so participants are encouraged to sign up early.

About Park City Mountain Resort
Park City Mountain Resort, the most accessible mountain resort in North America, is located in the heart of Park City, Utah and is only a 40-minute drive from the Salt Lake City International Airport. With 3,300 acres of unspoiled terrain, the Resort offers groomed Signature Runs™, bumps, powder, trees, eight peaks, nine bowls, four terrain parks, and the Eagle Superpipe. Park City Mountain Resort was once again ranked a top-five resort by the readers of SKI andTransworld Snowboarding magazines and a top-10 ski resort in North America by Conde Nast Traveler. For more information, visit www.parkcitymountain.com or call (800) 222-PARK.

Jon & Kate Plus 8

Jon outside the National Ability Center's Ski & Snowboard Center at Park City Mountain Resort.

At the end of the ski season, we had the opportunity to host Jon Gosselin of TLC's Jon & Kate Plus 8 at the National Ability Center's Ski & Snowboard Center on the hill at Park City Mountain Resort. Jon learned about the recreational programs the NAC offers and volunteered with our Ski Program Assistant Manager, Tracy. The two of them help one of the NAC's most adventurous participants, Shay, on a ski lesson. Shea has Cerebral Palsy, and skis both on the Greatest Snow on Earth during the winter and in the water that snow leaves behind during the summer.

Jon tests a pair of outriggers (to aid in stability during ski lessons) as Tracy explains the program.

Jon met up with Tracy and Shea (along with a two-man camera crew) for an overview of the Ski & Snowboard Program before hitting the slopes. They talked about the different equipment and training needed for adaptive skiing. With the background Jon's father had in working with people with disabilities, Jon seemed to pick up on things pretty quickly. He was impressed with the variety of situations that the NAC could adapt lessons for. Being a nationwide leader in adaptive recreation for people with physical and cognitive disabilities means the program managers and ski instructors need to be ready for just about anything! Last year our instructors taught more than 20,000 lessons for the fourth consecutive year.

Shea and Tracy enjoy a good laugh with Jon before heading to the ski lift.

Early that morning, conditions were perfect with a few inches of snow having fallen overnight. It didn't take long for the snow to really start falling as the three headed out for the lesson. The group skied as much as they could in the white-out conditions before calling it a day.

We look forward to hosting Jon and the rest of his family should they ever decide to come to Park City again.

If you would like to learn more about the programs offered at the National Ability Center, you can visit our website at DiscoverNAC.org or call us at 435.649.3991. We provide recreation for people with disabilities throughout the year, and we encourage you to give us a call if you are interested in water skiing, horseback riding, cycling, archery or rock climbing with us this summer! Winter registration won't begin until September, so enjoy the warm weather while it's here. The snow will return soon enough.

If you are interested in supporting us in our mission, you can donate to us through PayPal, or you can contact our Development Officer, Scott Lyttle at 435.200.0983.

Tours of our facility are free and are available Monday - Friday 9am-5pm. Accomodations outside those times can be made by emailing our information inbox at info@DiscoverNAC.org.

Discovered Abilities, Pt. II

Those of you who attended the Red, White and Snow gala and auction this year had the first chance to see this video. Now it is available for everyone else! In this video, we share with you four stories of individuals from differing circumstances and backgrounds. Each has had a different road to the National Ability Center, but they have all discovered abilities here.



By clicking on the title of this post, you can post this video to your Facebook or MySpace page to share with your friends. You can also tweet the video to your friends via a Twitter link. If you like the video and what we do, don't be shy!

Dr. Phil's Nicole VonRuden Goes Skiing

by Sarai Morgan, AmeriCorps Member at the National Ability Center

Nicole VonRuden, a producer from the Dr. Phil show, came to the National Ability Center last week to enjoy a couple days of skiing. Although she works with the television show, she did not come to film but to participate with our adaptive ski program. This was not Nicole's first time visiting the National Ability Center; however, it was her first time in a bi-ski.

Nicole was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2001 and has since defied the odds of many doctors. As a result of the tumor, she has undergone several treatments of chemotherapy and has become almost completely paralyzed on her right side. In 2001 the doctors gave Nicole a mere seven months to live. Six years later, Nicole is still not giving up.



As a volunteer in the ski program, I had the pleasure of skiing with Nicole. Her bubbly personality, contagious laugh, and amazing stories made this a beneficial and therapeutic experience for me, as well. The lesson was taught by Ability Center Ski Instructor, Don Armstrong, who has been with the National Ability Center's ski program for eight years. His goal for Nicole was to let her be as independent as possible and, of course, to have fun!

Accompanied by several friends and family members, Nicole was able to rip it up on the slopes of Park City Mountain Resort. She quickly moved from the green runs, to the blue runs, to the black runs! This experience, though intimidating at times, gave Nicole to opportunity to ski again, which she thought would never happen. Thanks, Nicole for trusting us on the hill and showing us how to face adversity with such great courage!