Eleven-year-old Dane Hammerschmidt who has autism and down syndrome tried on skis for the first time Sunday at Slide & Ride event at Canyon Ski Resort.
Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS) Alberta put on Slide & Ride to encourage people with disabilities to try adaptive skiing or snowboarding across the province, including the Red Deer event.
Hammerschmidt, a Red Deer resident, got comfortable with his skis with a little bit of help from volunteers.
About 40 people participated in the try-it, all day event for free.
Dawne Hammerschmidt, Dane’s mother, said her entire family enjoyed the family-friendly event.
“We try to expose him (Dane) to everything and it seems to be working very well,” said Dawne.
Fuyo Watanabe, a Calgary resident, said she tried the Slide & Ride event in Calgary with her son Ryan Ransley, and enjoyed it so much that she decided to come to the Red Deer event.
Ransley was in a sit ski on Sunday. Watanabe said her four-year-old is deaf, blind and isn’t able to walk.
She said she sees that her son enjoys being in the sit ski and would consider enrolling him into one of the CADS programs once he is older.
Nicole Wlasitz, 20, tried a sit ski for the first time as well. The Edmonton resident, who was in a wheelchair, said she came to Red Deer because she missed the event in Edmonton.
“I used to ski standing up, so getting back out on the snow is amazing,” she said.
Nadia Smith, Slide & Ride coordinator, said some of the people with disabilities that came out on Sunday were part of the CADS Red Deer program that starts in January.
Theresa Wyatt, a board member with CADS Red Deer, said the program had about 20 participants this season.
Wyatt said some of those 20 participants tried out intermediate and advanced slopes on Sunday.
“So they’ve gone from the beginning of the season not being ever on the slopes to actually going down an intermediate slope,” said Wyatt.
Brandi Heather, CADS Alberta president and an instructor at Adapted Physical Education program at Red Deer College, was at the event.
She said about 21 RDC students volunteered at the event.
Heather said, by participating, students in the program get to learn that even with injuries and illnesses, people are doing what they love.
“They are getting an opportunity to see the possibilities for every person to be out on the hill skiing and snowboarding,” Heather said.
mamta.lulla@reddeeradvocate.com
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