CADS Calgary supports skiers of all ages with a variety of disabilities

Eleven-year-old Talia Krueger was born with a rare gene and has never walked, but with the help of the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing (CADS) Calgary, she can move much faster than walking–she can soar down a ski hill.

“I like going fast down, I like going on the ski lift–that’s fun,” Talia said. “I can do the halfpipe and I can do the ski lift, which I couldn’t do before.”

Talia’s mom, Denise, is thankful for what CADS Calgary has provided her daughter.

“We love it! We actually moved from Fort McMurray and we were so happy with everything that is available here,” Denise said. “It’s something she can do independently and she likes the speed and the freedom–and we all like skiing, so it’s something we can do as a family.”

CADS has been run by a group of Calgary volunteers for more than 40 years. This year alone, 450 volunteers assisted 160 students aged as young as six years old with a variety of disabilities.

Eight-year-old Lauren Hawkins was born without her fibula and had her left foot amputated when she was one year old. Her mom, Kelly, found CADS very helpful.

“When we came here and found out about this program, we realized she actually didn’t need any special equipment, but it was really great to have other people that knew what her needs were and could just say, ‘Let’s put on this boot and let’s go,'” Kelly said.

Lauren is glad she can ski like all her friends at WinSport.

“Feels pretty good, because I can actually do what other people can do.”

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Maybe Lauren will ski on the big stage one day, like fellow CADS Calgary student Alana Ramsay, who is a double medallist at this year’s Paralympics in South Korea.

“Well we’ve known her since she was five, so it’s always fun to watch someone you know,” CADS Calgary ski school director Lauralee Crook said. “When you’ve helped them learn how to ski and worked with them on the race team, it’s great.”

Ski season is now over for CADS students. Volunteer registration is in September, with student registration in October for the 2018-19 season.

For more info, email info@cadscalgary.ca.