This winter, and every winter since 1996, athletes with physical and mental exceptionalities are hitting the slopes with the help of those involved with the Challenged Athletes of West Virginia.
The nonprofit organization operates at Timberline and Canaan Valley, with the parent organization based at Snowshoe.
Chris Ujvagi is an adaptive ski instructor of 22 years as well as the director of Challenged Athletes of West Virginia at Timberline. When Ujvagi moved to here area and began ski instruction, he was put in contact with the West Virginia Lions Club ski for the blind program.
“It is quite humbling to have a student who has not seen in their entire life to have them describe things to you, painting a picture by sounds and smells and touch,” Ujvagi said. “They totally trust that you will take good care of them.” After that experience, he discovered Challenged Athletes of West Virginia.
Since “disability” can sometimes lead to a negative connotation, the adaptive ski instructors prefer the term, exceptionality. “Everybody is an individual, and everybody has different learning styles and processes things differently,” Ujvagi said. “You’ll learn as much from them, as you will teach them.”
Working with different exceptionalities on the slopes can lead to some creative skiing methods. The program’s goal is to get anyone with an exceptionality out there by any means available. “We see how we can use that exceptionality and get that person out on skis,” Ujvagi said.
With the help of Challenged Athletes instructors, Eric Flynn’s son skied for the first time in his life at Timberline. Flynn’s son is a young man with both of his legs amputated above the knee. He skis standing up. “It was absolutely amazing,” Flynn said. “He picked it up pretty fast.”
Flynn searched online for different adaptive ski programs when he found Challenged Athletes of West Virginia’s program. Ujvagi contacted him, a Colorado company provided equipment to suit his son, and “we got there on a Friday, we rigged him up, and he was skiing the next day,” Flynn said.
“They are all great guys, they do amazing things for kids, and everybody,” Flynn said of the group of instructors.
The program is open to all ages. The youngest athlete Ujvagi reported working with was five, while the oldest was 72. The 72 year old was “getting back out and skiing on the bunny hill, totally independent, just using verbal cues, and feeling the wind on his face,” Ujvagi said.
Athletes with cognitive or physical disabilities are welcome to join the program. Skiing on a seat is a viable option for many athletes in the program. A mono-ski is used at times, while others use two skis. In some instances, athletes are connected to an instructor. “The ideal is to make it so we don’t have a job,” Ujvagi said.
The program hopes to help athletes and their families beyond the slopes as well. Educating family and friends on how to assist someone with an exceptionality is one of the program’s priorities.
