Event will be held Feb. 11-12 at Pico
updated
Wed, Feb 8, 2012 12:37 PM
KILLINGTON-Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports recently announced
that it will host The United States Association of Blind Athletes'
(USABA) Fifth Annual Winter Ski Festival Saturday and Sunday,
Feb. 11-12 at Pico. Athletes with visual impairment will be
given the opportunity to alpine and/or nordic ski, while spending a
weekend here in the Green Mountains.
This year, a group of seven Veterans will also be joining the
festivities. The USABA Military Sport Program works to enhance the
lives of disabled Veterans and Service Members who are blind or
visually impaired and to accelerate their rehabilitation process
through sport, physical activity and recreation; as well as assist
in the integration of those individuals back into their local
community. Military Sport Program Coordinator Rich Cardillo
explained, "The USABA Military Sport Program is all about giving
disabled Veterans and disabled Service Members who are blind or
visually impaired a sporting chance in bringing normalcy back into
their lives."
USABA, in conjunction with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, is
proud to offer this recreational opportunity to individuals with
visual impairments. The event is open to all ages, all
abilities and all ski levels.
Guides and instructors are provided by Vermont Adaptive Ski and
Sports, the largest year-round disabled sports non-profit
organization in Vermont, which is committed to empowering
individuals with disabilities. Vermont Adaptive will pair each
blind or visually impaired skier with a trained ski guide to
practice and learn ski or race. Alpine skiing will be hosted
at Pico Mountain in Killington, Vt.; while Nordic will be at
Mountain Top Inn in Chittenden, Vt.
"USABA is extremely pleased to partner with Vermont Adaptive to
provide an opportunity for blind and visually impaired skiers,
including military service members and veterans with eye injuries,
to further develop and enhance their alpine and Nordic skiing
skills," said Mark Lucas, USABA's executive director. "Now in
its fifth year, the event has really taken shape with
meet-and-greet receptions, alpine and Nordic skiing sessions, a
banquet, and a biathlon demonstration with sonar laser rifle
scope. Last year, athletes were very receptive to learning about
the biathlon and getting the opportunity to shoot. We expect this
year to have an even better turn out. We're looking forward to
hosting our blind or visually impaired athletes again this
year."
Participants will stay at Cortina Inn and Resort and are provided
transportation for the daily events. The weekend will conclude
with a banquet dinner held at the Cortina Inn.
Tagged:
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, USABA
