How volunteering with an adaptive ski program changed my life for the better
Zuzia Wodzynska
The world is a messy place these days. Everyone is looking for an escape to happiness and search for meaning. I thought I'd found it on the slopes, but last year I learned it was only a shadow of what could be.
Winston Churchill famously said, "We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give." I understand that now.
As a snowboard instructor for 14 years, I had been taking nervous Nellies and turning them into stoked riders. And I love it! I honestly thought there couldn't be much else that was more rewarding.
But I was wrong; I recently decided to teach adaptive snowboarding. Here's what happened last year that was so different after I volunteered with Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports (VASS), instead of teaching "regular" snowboarding.
Last season, I had a student with limited motor skills, who is nervous around people, nearly falls down the stairs, but pushes past a crowd in his excitement to greet me before his lesson.
For the first time in my career, I had a student who couldn't look me in the eye by the end of the lesson. It's generally assumed to be a sign of discomfort, a regular occurrence at the beginning of lessons, but it didn't matter. Though she mainly looked at the ground and never looked at me in the eye, she did say to me she was going to tell her friends about the lesson at school the next day. Something about how much fun she had and when could she go snowboarding again.
I had another student who was non-verbal and uncomfortable with strangers. He reached out to hold my hand when we were walking back from the bunny hill, like he does with his mom.
The level of trust and connection is so awe-inspiring, and it just gets more rewarding every time.
This was unlike anything I'd ever done; it's so positive and genuine. The incredible sense of inclusion creates a zone of neutrality. Everywhere else, our students face challenges from their physical, social, and professional environments. Each student arrives with some sort of physical and/or mental disability, but when they are on the hill, the focus is on their ability, and gives them as much independence as possible.
With adaptive snow sports programs run by dedicated volunteers, they get to enjoy the hill just like everybody else. Same excitement, same rush, same elements.
Do you have to be an experienced instructor to volunteer? Heck no! You just need to be able to ski or snowboard, with a healthy dose of patience, enthusiasm and a sense of humour. Each student presents a unique set of challenges, but then that's why each one gets at least two volunteers. Inexperienced volunteers get paired with someone who knows the ropes.
If you haven't got any patience, that's OK, too. Adaptive snow sports programs don't just need help on the snow. Funding obviously always helps, and even small donations go a long way, but your professional skills could be of use, too. Let your local program know what you can do.
The Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing/Snowboarding (CADS) offers weekend-long certifications for just $50. You'll learn about what to expect, how to use specialized equipment, how to handle different situations, and get a taste of the immense possibility these programs offer.
Seriously, each lesson with VASS had my heart growing three sizes that day. I can't wait to volunteer again this year! When is the season starting?!
TO GET INVOLVED:
Information sessions and training for new volunteers are happening through the season, so the time to act is now.
Edmonton: http://www.cadsedmonton.ca/
Calgary: http://www.cadscalgary.ca/
Vancouver: http://www.vass.ca/
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