Outdoor Fun For Everyone

by Jan Blaustone

Camille Williams gets some hands-on instruction as she prepares to head down a slope in her sit ski.

Whether you're 9 years old, 74 years old, or anywhere in between . . . whether you walk using a cane or rely on your wheelchair for mobility . . . you can enjoy outdoor recreation with your family and friends.

Camille Williams, 9, of Baton Rouge, La., who has congenital muscular dystrophy, has gone alpine skiing with her family for the last couple of years at Winter Park Resort in Colorado through a program of the Colorado-based National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD).

This year marks the center's 33rd year of service to some 3,000 people with disabilities, providing a dozen summer activities such as sailing, golfing, camping, therapeutic horseback riding, hiking, biking, rafting and rock climbing, and various winter programs including snowboarding and skiing — all at reasonable rates.

New to NSCD last ski season (November through April) were family ski lessons in which all family members learn together, rather than isolating the person with a disability for special instruction.

"We've had very positive feedback from the family lessons program," says Kate Mullany of NSCD. "Our ski instructor gives tips to the family so everyone learns together, and it also teaches the entire family how to assist the disabled skier so in the future they can enjoy the sport together.

"Our goal is to instruct families in the sport so they aren't separated on the slopes or some members restricted to adaptive lessons only. They learn to be independent so the entire family can go out on their own and enjoy the sport together."

That goal is shared by the Williams family.

"The NSCD ski program has worked out so well for us," says Marie, Camille's mother, "that now the hardest part of skiing is just bundling Camille up so she stays warm."

In the past, two other families have joined the Williamses at Winter Park so Camille has friends to ski with in addition to her 12-year-old sister, Claire.

"The kids all ski together and then at the end of the day they enjoy the hot tub, tell stories, the whole bit," Marie says. "It's a great way to vacation with family and friends and it's so reasonable. I think Camille's ski pass was about $50 for a half day of skiing, all adaptive equipment rental, two instructors, lift and a buddy pass."

With the exception of her adaptive equipment, Camille is just another skier and that's the way she likes it.

"I use the same lift as everyone else," says Camille, who uses a wheelchair, "except it slows down for me, and my helpers raise me inside the bucket and onto the chairlift. I have two helpers when I ski."

Every skier is first assessed for abilities and then fitted with the proper adaptive equipment to meet his or her needs.

For Camille, this means skiing using a "sit ski" or "bi-ski," which consists of a seat or "bucket" mounted above a pair of skis using a rack-and-pinion steering mechanism in addition to outriggers (shorter skis) along the sides for stability. One assistant with a tether attached to the bucket skis behind Camille and another person skis alongside. Until a skier can safely stop and control turns, an instructor is always attached by a tether.

Adaptive ski equipment varies greatly, with seats or buckets, the number of skis used and their width, depending upon the skier's abilities. Like any other beginner, Camille starts on small slopes and eventually works her way to bigger hills.

"I never fall down or get hurt. My sister skis like everybody else. She falls down."

"By the end of the day," Marie says, "Camille is the only one who hasn't busted her butt but that's okay. We all laugh about our falls.

David Von Hatten enjoys skiing, rafting and exploring the outdoors with friends or his father, Ed (left).

"I'd recommend this program to anyone," Marie says. "If you can, stay in a lodge on the slope where you can ski in and out but they do provide accessible buses from other lodges to the resort. Also, since Winter Park is [near national and state parks], try to avoid the weekends when it can become crowded. You'll need reservations several months in advance because people ski here from all over, including Europe."

David Von Hatten is a 37-year-old bachelor from Austin, Texas, and a busy freelance writer. He's also an avid outdoorsman who enjoys activities such as hiking, whitewater rafting, skiing, snowmobiling, canoe/kayaking, rugby, basketball, scuba and camping — sometimes saving his work for tomorrow.

A disciplined and determined person, not surprisingly, Von Hatten accomplishes it all from his power wheelchair.

Affected by spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), Von Hatten sometimes invites along his good friend and 70-year-old father, Ed, among other friends, to share his outdoor activities. Von Hatten plans his getaways through a variety of accessible nonprofit recreational programs, including NSCD, the Breckenridge (Colo.) Outdoor Education Center (BOEC), nearby Austin Wheelchair Fitness Center (affiliated with St. David's Hospital) and the Austin Adaptive Sports Center.

Wilderness on Wheels offers a mile-long boardwalk mountain trail that brings wheelers up close to a trout stream, wildflowers, rock outcroppings and other beauties of nature in Colorado. Photo courtesy of WOW

"Over the last three years the Austin Adaptive Sports Center in particular has given me the opportunities and confidence to try new things," Von Hatten says. And try he has!

Like Camille Williams, Von Hatten skis at Winter Park and is fitted with sit ski equipment.

"It's awesome!" he says. "Becoming acclimated to the altitude is the hardest part for me.

"I usually make three or four runs a day over a three-day period. It's a lot of fun but it's also very tiring," Von Hatten says. "I'm done by 3:30 p.m. and spend the rest of the afternoon in the pub or coffee shop or out taking pictures. The views and surrounding wilderness are just incredible. There's also open sleigh rides, snowmobiling or snowcat rides — plenty to do for everyone."

Sitting while skiing may seem like cheating to able-bodied skiers but actually it's a workout. Sit skis can reach top speeds of 70 miles an hour.

"On my second day on the slope last winter," Von Hatten says, "my instructor asked if I'd like to try it without the tether. 'Not on your life!' I told him."

The most popular summer activity beginning in mid-June at NSCD is whitewater rafting.

"We offer half-day, full-day and overnight runs over fairly mellow waters down the Colorado River," Mullany says. "It's very safe and a lot of fun — not class 4 rapids by any means."

Last summer Von Hatten and his father rafted the Colorado through the BOEC program.

"We were on the water for about five hours and covered around 13 miles," he says. "The scariest part was getting hung up on Picnic Table Rock. It's called that because it's so big that you can get stuck on it long enough to make a picnic. We were, in fact, stuck for over half an hour. What an adventure!"

The Von Hattens also enjoyed a BOEC trip to Wilderness on Wheels' model wilderness-access facility 60 miles southwest of Denver. It includes accessible campsites and an 8-foot-wide boardwalk through the mountain wilderness that's just over a mile long. With the hard work of volunteers, WOW's goal is to complete the boardwalk that starts at 9,100 feet so it reaches the top of a 12,300-foot mountain. The site also offers an educational amphitheater program, hiking, fishing, camping and abundant wildlife watching — all at no charge although donations are requested.

"My dad and I hiked the distance of their boardwalk," Von Hatten says. "It's a completely accessible boardwalk trail up a mountain. My dad had just turned 70 and he walked up that mile-long boardwalk, altitude and all. I was quite proud of him."

Byron Carter and his dad, Gary, find the Kansas City Motor Speedway quite accessible. The Carters also like camping, fishing and horseback riding together.

Byron Carter of Parsons, Kan., is a vivacious youngster of 10 who enjoys camping, fishing, horseback riding and watching the NASCAR circuit races on television. Last fall, Byron, who has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, was thrilled to experience the races firsthand at the Kansas City Motor Speedway.

"It was a great vacation for us all," says Byron's father, Gary. "I couldn't believe how accessible and easy it was to get around. Wheelchair users had some of the best seating around — mid-level. Plus there are shuttles with lifts that meet you in the parking lot and take you right to the gate."

Although Byron won't get to meet Jeff Gordon and the other drivers every time he goes to the races, Gary says they'll return to the speedway . . . in between Boy Scout camping trips and family camping outings.

"We camp in the Ozarks or at nearby Lake McKinley quite often," Gary says. "We don't use any special campsite or equipment, although Byron does use a custom wheelchair for rough terrain that his grandfather built for him.

"There's a bluff, a pasture, a creek. That's about it. They do have porta-potties but that's it. It's camping where you pitch a tent and rough it."

Gary noted that he and his wife, Vonda, can lift and carry Byron when needed. Byron's 14-year-old sister, Stephanie, is also a help.

"It's a family affair and everyone pitches in. Maybe in a few years we'll consider a more accessible camping experience but for now, this works out just fine for us."

The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems. — Mahatma Gandhi
Joe Rubino of West Lebanon, N.H., would get along very well with David Von Hatten and his dad. Like Von Hatten, Rubino is an avid skier and gregarious athlete. Also like David, Rubino is affected by SMA. What sets them apart is that Rubino is 74 years young and has had both his hips replaced. "I stayed away from the slopes for a few years after my hip replacement," Rubino says, "but when I turned 72, I just couldn't stay away any longer." Rubino is a "stand-skier" who uses the same basic equipment and skills as able-bodied skiers. Joe Rubino skis about 20 times a year. "Skiing has helped me strengthen muscles which still work, and it gives me a renewed sense of vitality as opposed to feeling sorry for myself," he says. "What I enjoy most about skiing is being active with my wife, Lynn, and also my daughter, but just getting out into the fresh air is good. "Last winter I thought I was doing damn good on the slopes until I saw this video my daughter took of me. 'The conditions weren't right!' I protested. 'Let me do it again!'" Joe's daughter, Angel Rubino, is an occupational therapist who volunteers with the Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports program at Pico Mountain Resort near Killington. "The program operates on a case-by-case basis for every individual to develop lifelong recreational skills for overall wellness," she says. "I've worked with people who have had C-2 injuries and up. "We provide consultation so parents and individuals know that [recreational] possibilities are available and they can make informed decisions for themselves or their children. Everybody can come up here and participate in outdoor recreation in a variety of year-round adaptive programs." "Everything is relevant," Rubino says. "I would be in bad shape if I didn't get some exercise, whether it's swimming, skiing or simply raking the yard." Rubino does all these things in moderation. However, it's his definition of moderation. "I ski about 20 times each year at Killington Resort in Vermont," he says. Rubino also attends aqua therapy regularly and performs squats of 70 pounds. "It's my extremities, basically my fingers, that are affected by the SMA," Rubino says. "My general muscle tone has developed quite a bit since I returned to an active lifestyle. I'm going to keep going until I drop. I refuse to sit down and let Father Time take over."

During a recent family gathering on St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands, the Jones family of Farmington, Mich., experienced an exciting new sport — parasailing — soaring into the sky by a parachute tethered to a boat.

Alex, 12, saw a hut on the beach advertising parasailing rides and he immediately wanted to try it. Ben, 10, and Teddy, 7, joined in and before they knew it, the entire family was on a boat and on their way to a new experience.

"I was the only one who required convincing," mom Annette says. "I'm very afraid of heights but the boys showed no sign of hesitation whatsoever. I was the last person to go up and by that time, I was so impressed with the boys that I just had to do it."

Alex Jones and his uncle Tony Abbott soar by parasail in the Virgin Islands.

Alex and Ben both have Duchenne MD. This was the first time they'd been able to soar like birds without the assistance of their power wheelchairs.

"I was flying!" Ben says. "And I could see things under water from the sky like turtles and coral reefs. It was good!"

"It feels like you're at the top of the world," Alex adds.

"We try to make their lives as fun as we can," Annette says. "Actually, parasailing was easy. The hardest part was getting them onto the boat. We boarded off a dock and had to manually lift the boys and transfer them onboard and then hold them upright until it was time to go up.

"Once out in the ocean, you're hooked up to cables and locked into a harness. We each had to get onto a special platform. Ben rode tandem with Bruce [his father], and Alex and Teddy rode tandem with their Uncle Tony."

After being slowly lifted to about 600 feet in the air, the parasailors rode in the air for five minutes or so. "The view is spectacular!" Annette reports. "You can see coral reefs, watch sea turtles... we even rode by my mother-in-law's house! Then, slowly they pull you back in and you land very gently on the platform again. We never even got wet."

Annette admits she might have chickened out if it weren't for her boys.

"It was such a thrill for the boys that the next time we go back we'll definitely do it again," she says. "It takes a lot of faith. I was so proud of them."

Scuba diving is yet another form of recreation that's been kid-tested and approved by adults with neuromuscular disease.

"We introduced our campers to scuba last year," says Susan Whatley, MDA health care services coordinator and MDA summer camp director in Nashville, Tenn. "Their response was unbelievable! It was the biggest hit at camp!"

Whatley and several camp volunteers are certified divers for open waters who know firsthand the pleasures of underwater sports.

"There's a natural curiosity in us all," she says. "That, coupled with the natural buoyancy under water, makes for a very enjoyable activity that our campers couldn't get enough of. The more recreational activities we can expose them to, the better it is for them."

Other recreation experts agree.

"The success our participants experience helps them in their day-to-day life," explains Hal O'Leary, founder of the National Sports Center for the Disabled. "They know that they can overcome their obstacles, achieve their goals and reach their full potential."

You don't have to go to the Virgin Islands to parasail. You don't have to take a trip to Colorado to ski. There are many challenges in your own back yard if you're open to the possibilities.

The next time you plan a vacation with friends or family, consider the options. Check with your local ski resort to see if it offers adaptive winter sports programs, or investigate one of the facilities listed in "Recreation Resources".

Be daring like Alex, Ben and Teddy Jones. Test the waters like David Von Hatten. Become an explorer like Byron Carter. Have fun like Camille Williams. Stay young at heart like Joe Rubino.

Support and encourage one another as these families do. Whatever your preferred activity, get out there and go for it!