Oh Say, Can You Ski!

By Doug Pyper

January was a deep freeze out west last year, and Kimberly, British Columbia was no exception, with temperatures dipping to near -30 C at times. But with it came the blue Kootenay skies and the sunshine that somehow made your face feel warm in the crisp mountain air. One felt suspended in time standing atop the chairlift in the cold early morning, looking down on this jewel of a resort nestled in the southern Purcell Mountains, or looking out across the wide expanse of valley to the ever-present Canadian Rockies.

It was as though the stillness was heralding something special that was about to happen, that this peaceful setting, in the post-Christmas lull, was about to become the stage for some rare human drama. And so it was, for arriving that morning was a group of athletes that, I was soon to discover, is indeed rare.

For the eighth year running, Kimberly was to be the site of an 11-day winter training camp for the National Disabled Alpine Ski Team and those aspiring to its membership. The team is made up of the elite or top skiers from the Canadian Association for Disabled Skiers (CADS), an association which brings people with disabilities outdoors through the sport of skiing.

One cannot speak about CADS or skiers with disabilities without mentioning one person in particular. Jerry Johnston’s name is virtually synonymous with skiing in the disability community. He is the founder of CADS and executive director of that organization. To do this mild-mannered and ever-modest individual justice, or even to document his history, is not within the scope of this article.

When asked about the sport, Jerry said, "Where else someone who is visually impaired, an amputee or paraplegic find rhythm, fluidity of motion, healthy lifestyle, social life and camaraderie, all in one?" When asked why he has dedicated 30 years of his life to this endeavour, he replied, "The rewards are endless for the athletes and for all those involved -- as long as one realizes that the greatest rewards in life are the inner ones."

Those "inner rewards" shone in the eyes of everyone I met that week -- the National Team, the contestants and the coaches alike. They all approached life with a vigour, energy and belief in themselves. And underlying it all was a lighthearted humour which could not be separated from their dedication to the sport and to life itself.

There were eight members on the National Team last January, one of whom has since left. But this year, seven new members joined the team as a result of the 1994 tryouts.

A 13-year veteran of the team is William "Wild Bill" Harriott from Calgary, Alberta, who grew up in the Kimberly area. This 35-year-old extrovert extraordinaire, who lost his arm above the elbow in an industrial accident, is rarely without a smile or a friendly word. And his humour is unbelievably contagious. One might enjoy his company anywhere -- except in a head-to-head slalom course. I’ve seen very few racers who can equal his explosion out of the starting gate.

Lana "La Bamba" Spreeman is also a 13-year veteran of the team and also from Calgary. Originally from the little town of Olds, just outside of Calgary, she lost her leg in a childhood farming accident there. Lana won four medals for Canada three years ago in the Paralympics in Tignes, France, skiing on a fibreglass leg. She added these medals to the many others on her wall at home.

Richard Boily from Alma, Quebec is enjoying his fourth year on the team. The 32-year-old skis on one leg, called "three tracking" (one leg, two outriggers). You don’t want to race this guy down the hill. I found this out firsthand after I met him waiting for me at the bottom. I used my camera backpack as a feeble excuse, and I think he almost bought it, showing me his ever-present warm smile.

Glen Baron from the Toronto, Ontario area is also in his fourth year on the National team. This soft-spoken man has both a visual impairment and a 50 per cent hearing loss. Skiing with a visual impairment, perhaps the most daring of all the racing classifications, is a team effort. A guide skis through the course directly ahead of the racer, communicating by radio (using small microphones and earpieces), letting the racer know when to turn. Synchronization is the key, and the skill of the guide is as important as the skill of the racer. Slalom is particularly difficult. Ruth Hislop, Glen’s guide of five years, is a retired racer from Cranbrook, British Columbia who moved to Toronto, where she met Glen and later became involved with the team.

Sandra Lynes moved from Toronto to the Kimberly area to attend college through the Rocky Mountain Sports Academy, which allows athletes to arrange studies and training in a non-conflicting manner. This young woman of 21, who lost her arm in an accident five years ago, is entering her third year on the team. She won two medals for Canada in the Paralympics in France.

Scott Connery from Edmonton, Alberta, at 20, is enjoying his his fourth year on the team -- and, unbelievably, only his sixth year skiing. He, too, skis on a fibreglass leg, and in fact never skied before his disability. He is presently studying sport psychology at the University of Alberta. Scott’s future looks very bright.

Seven members of the team are in their first year. Marilyn (Marni) Winder from Delisle, Saskatchewan, is mother of three and has a visual impairment. She enjoys the thrills and camaraderie of racing and believes totally in sharing her accomplishments with others.

Sylvain Cloutier, from Quebec, is a single-arm amputee. This young man has attended several of the national camps, and his perseverance has finally paid off. Sylvain also races in the able-bodied divisional circuit in Quebec.

The two youngest members of the team are a mere 14 years old, but their accomplishments far outnumber their years. They both also race in the able-bodied program. Romona Hoh, an arm amputee from Edmonton, Alberta, speaks both English and Chinese. She has been playing violin since age three and has just achieved honours in grade eight at the Western Board of Music. She is also an honours student at school, and her present goal is no less than to become the best female racer with a disability in the world! Ian Balfour from Pincher Creek, Alberta is also an arm amputee and has been involved in the sport for nine years. He says he likes the sensation of speed, the people he meets, and seeing new places. He also made the Alberta Provincial Able-Bodied Championships last year.

Three of the newest team members are mono-skiers. In this technique, the skier sits in a custom-moulded seat mounted on top of one ski with a shock absorber, holding an outrigger in each arm. The outrigger has a one-foot ski mounted on the end of it which rides on the snow for balance. These sit-skis, or "buckets," are well-adapted for skiing through weight transfer and are also equipped for self-loading onto a chair lift.

Stacy Kohut, 22, from Calgary, Alberta became paralyzed from the waist down less than two years ago. This young man used to skateboard in the summer and surf the powder on a snowboard in the winter. Now this adrenalin junkie downhills on a mono-ski at speeds in excess of 100 kilometres per hour.

Dennis Lord from Campbelltown, New Brunswick, has been skiing only five years and has been placing in the top three in competitions all over Canada for the past three years. He also plays basketball, waterskis, lifts weights, kayaks and participates in wheelchair marathons. He is a highly motivated athlete and a strong team player.

Dan Wesley from New Westminster, B.C., has only been skiing for five years and, like the other mono-skiers, this is his first year on the National Team. The philosophy of this double-ankle amputee, at 33, is that "to achieve anything great, one must desire it at the deepest level."

The National Team’s coaching staff lacks no technical clout or experience. Head coach Butch Boutry was born and raised and raced in Rossland, British Columbia. He is a Level IV coach (the highest level attainable) and was director of the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation (CSCF) in 1970. He coached the Red Mountain Racers in Rossland and then moved on to coach the Canadian National Ski Team, fondly remembered by Canadians as the "Crazy Canucks," with the likes of Steve Podborski and Ken Read. Involved with the National Disabled Alpine Ski Team since 1979, he boasts the fact that they are now racing full slalom, downhill and super G as well as giant slalom. When asked why he is coaching the team, he smiles as though in wonder that you would even ask.

Gary Aiken, assistant coach and also a Rossland native, has been involved with the team for nearly seven years. He seemed uninterested in talking about himself, and therefore it was somewhat surprising to discover that he was the Can-Am overall champion in 1973 and one of the original "Crazy Canucks" -- he was a member of the Canadian National Team from 1972 to 1976, which makes Butch his former coach. He laughed, saying of fellow teammates Podborski and Read, "I was their father figure!" With Gary’s childlike, fun-loving manner, I found that hard to envision.

Mike Cooper, the newest member of the coaching squad, coached the North Star Racers of Kimberly from 1982 to 1989. He is a Level III coach and a Level III instructor. A somewhat quiet man, he also said he finds a kinship with the enthusiasm of the team. This was not difficult to understand.

Of the seven skiers attending the 1993 training camp to try out for the team, one hopeful was Ginny Duff, a visually impaired skier from Toronto. Her guide, Beth Nicholson, had to leave due to previous commitments, so I was allowed the chance to guide Ginny for three days. Ginny is a medical doctor and psychiatrist. From our many talks, I remember one comment most vividly: "We truly do not see ourselves as any less of a person than anyone else. We merely have a disability. If anyone perceives us as any less of a person then that is a problem that they have to work on, not us."

It would seem that Ginny’s outlook on life embodied the attitude of all the athletes at the camp. John Boucher, the Chef de Mission (overseer) of the Paralympic Games in Tignes, France was quoted as saying, "It is time these people were recognized more for their abilities, rather than their disabilities. They are athletes and they deserve that recognition."
The last two days of camp, the cold weather moderated, a storm front moved through and the snow came to whisper farewell to our visitors. They were off to numerous local and regional races, the Calgary Winter Festival in mid-February and then back to Kimberly for the CIBC Disabled International Ski Championships and Festival, March 14-21, 1993.

And now, this year, the team members look to the sixth Paralympic Winter Games in Lillehammer, Norway, which follow the Olympics, March 10-19.

We often pride ourselves in our determination and how we deal with life’s little problems. This group goes a step further; on a day-to-day basis they turn adversity into triumph. After having met them, one cannot help but look at life a little differently, with a fresher view and with a greater joy. May victory be theirs -- they have earned it!

(This article is dedicated to the memory of our close friend and teammate, Scott Connery (April 5, 1973 - February 5, 1994). Scott was tragically taken from us while training at Nakiska, Alberta. Certain individuals, by virtue of the energy and commitment they put into this life, in a sense never really die. Scott was one of those people. Scott, we who knew and loved you, and the rest of Canada, carry your spirit with us to the Paralympics in Norway.)

(Doug Pyper is a professional photographer, freelance writer and ski instructor living in Kimberly, B.C.)