Overcoming Obstacles at Sun Peaks
Date: Sunday March 22
Time: 7:00 pm to 9:00pm
VIP's: Minister of State for Sport, Gary Lunn and Senator Nancy Greene Raine
Skiing can be a challenge, even for the most talented athletes in the world. But add a physical disability into the mix, and the obstacles increase exponentially. Adaptive Sports Awareness Week at Sun Peaks Resort is about inspiration and education as Para-athletes of all abilities gather together to defy extensive obstacles.
18 year old Kayla Finney is a Thompson Rivers University student who has cerebral palsy. She started sit-skiing at Sun Peaks in January through the Adaptive Sports at Sun Peaks (ASSP) program and loves the rush of flying down the mountain with assistance from trained instructors and volunteers.
Then there’s Dave Stewart, a local Sun Peaks father who has been learning to sit-ski for the last couple years after he lost the use of his legs in a biking accident. Stewart’s children inspire him to keep going.
Imagine racing down the mountain without the ability to see what’s coming because of a visual impairment. That’s the reality for Jay Maloney, a member of the BC Disabled Alpine Ski Team who relies on his older brother Tyler’s voice to guide him through the gates down the race course.
Kayla, Dave, Jay and Tyler will all be at Sun Peaks for Adaptive Sports Awareness Week, March 22-27, 2009, as two disabled skiing groups gather for a week of personal challenges and successes, motivation, inspiration, encouragement and fun!
Over 100 athletes and their families will be learning to ski with a disability during the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing (CADS) Ski Improvement & Race Development Festival. The accessibility of the Sun Peaks Village and the exceptional learning terrain on the mountain drew organizers back to the resort for the second year in a row. Dave, Kayla and other beginner Para-athletes will be participating in ski improvement clinics and learning the fundamentals of Para-alpine racing.
The Canadian Para-Alpine Ski Team will also be at Sun Peaks for the TELUS Para-Alpine Canadian Championships, which will provide beginner disabled athletes with a glimpse into the future of what their potential could be as a Para-athlete. The Canadian team will be arriving at Sun Peaks on a high note after winning the Nations Cup overall points title for the first time ever at the IPC World Cup Finals in Whistler last week. Until now, Austria and the USA were previously the only two countries to ever win the Nations Cup in Para-alpine ski racing.
As the final countdown continues to the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver/Whistler, join us at Sun Peaks Resort to embrace Para-athletes in their quest for gold.
For more information on Adaptive Sports Awareness Week, visit www.sunpeaksresort.com.
Communication from Tourism Sun Peaks