Fellows in Their Own Words: Helping the Disabled to Ski
by Michael Paul, CCL Fellow

	CCL Fellow Michael Paul with student Donna in Winter Park, CO

The Center for Citizen Leadership organization enabled me to do a fellowship working as a volunteer for two organizations that help those with disabilities to alpine ski. The Mission Continues gave me the opportunity to help other wounded veterans by being a mentor for adaptive skiing in Winter Park and Vail, Colorado. I was able to attend two clinics in Vail one with Adaptive Adventures and the other with the Paralyzed Veterans of America. I spent also some time helping with one of the largest adaptive skiing programs - NSCD.

Adaptive Adventures is a mobile, non resort-based organization, working hard to "bring programs to people" as opposed to "people to programs." The programs offer opportunities for people with physical disabilities including, but not limited to: amputations, paraplegia, quadriplegia, birth defects, cerebral palsy, head injuries, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, strokes and visual impairments. The programs, expert staff and dedicated volunteers -- many who are also physically challenged -- have allowed them to establish themselves as a nationwide leader in the world of adaptive sports and recreation. I was able to attend a clinic and help out with instructing a newly injured Marine learn how to ski in Vail, Colorado.

The National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) is one of the largest outdoor therapeutic recreation agencies in the world. Each year, thousands of children and adults with disabilities take to the ski slopes, mountain trails and golf courses to learn more about sports - and themselves. With specially trained staff and its own adaptive equipment lab, the NSCD teaches a variety of winter and summer sports and activities to individuals with almost any physical, cognitive, emotional, or behavioral diagnosis. I was impressed with the quality of services that NSCD offered and learned a lot about the adaptive ski program while I volunteered with their program.

Each week was a new challenge. It was very rewarding to see the hope and drive that the wounded veterans and the people I worked with that had disabilities. The determination to overcome the barriers of a disability is inspiring to all. Having suffered from a spinal cord injury I understand their drive to persevere through the obstacle and continue enjoying life as much as possible.