Challenge Aspen, which provides year-round adaptive recreation opportunities for people of all ages and disabilities, is celebrating its 30th year this year.
In three decades, adaptive skiing equipment has progressed, as well as the mindset around disabilities.
Lindsay Cagley, CEO at Challenge Aspen, sat down with reporter Regan Mertz to talk about how the organization is looking to evolve with these changes.
The conversation below has been edited for clarity and length.
Regan Mertz: So, with Challenge Aspen’s anniversary this year, how has the organization changed in the last three decades?
Lindsay Cagley: Oh, wow. The organization has changed a lot. When we started 30 years ago, we were technically only teaching instructors how to coach blind and visually impaired skiers. And then as Amanda Bucha joined the organization, we got into helping people with spinal cord injuries who would like to ski. Now, fast forward 30 years, we serve 650 people a year with hundreds of different disabilities, physical, cognitive, as well as military veterans.
We also are serving people year round. So it's not just skiing anymore. Skiing is how we began, and we love it, and we thrive in that world, but we also do a lot of summer stuff as well now, like paddle boarding and hiking and mountain biking and all the things that you love to do here.
Mertz: How do you think the outlook on disabilities has changed in that time?
Cagley: Well I mean, the ADA law came into place, and that's definitely changed, I would say, business obligations in the U.S. But I would say that like Aspen Skiing Company and the resort committed before the ADA to provide a better experience and an inclusive experience for people with disabilities. But that's helped us over the years, because, you know, on top of the charitable side of what we do, and working with local schools and youth, we're also providing access for people who come to visit this destination and who have disabilities, so that they can choose where they would like to ski, rather than, you know, only go to the places that have adaptive access.
Mertz: So, equipment has also evolved in the last 30 years. Back in World War 2, adaptive skis were created to help get wounded soldiers back into snowsports.
So, what sort of equipment does Challenge Aspen use now that maybe has evolved in the last 30 years or so?
Cagley: Yeah, if anybody ever came to our office, they could see some historic equipment hanging up on the walls that looks basically like a sled that you would bring someone down the mountain and who's injured that were used as sit skis, and they've evolved now and really expanded. So we use something called a seizure belt if someone's had a seizure. We actually have a safety mechanism to make sure if they have a seizure on the chairlift, that they don't fall, we use bi-skis and mono-skis. So a bi-ski would have two skis underneath. A mono-ski would have one ski underneath. And we have something called a slider, a ski slider looks sort of like the positioning of a walker, and the guest would have skis on their feet and skis on the bottom of the walker. And it helps, helps them be ambulatory, so they're not forced to sit down if they have some issues with their mobility.
Mertz: What are some of the best improvements you’ve seen lately with equipment?
Cagley: Our mountain bikes are really cool, and they are the technologies evolving to be able to provide these experiences and help people find independence even when their mobility is almost non-existent. So as an example, we have mountain bikes that might be able to be used in the downhill mountain bike park and have a great day out there. We also have something called a Tetra ski, which a lot of people don't know about. There's only a handful of them in the state of Colorado in that but you can actually control the angles of the skis with the sip and puffs. So essentially, like breathing from a straw. So for someone that has super high level injuries with no mobility, essentially beneath their chin, they're able to ski independently, which is really special.
Mertz: Where do you want Challenge Aspen to go in the next 30 years?
Cagley: At the end of the day, we will still have a growing population of people with disabilities in our country and around the world, and we'd like to continue serving them and helping them accomplish their goals over time. And so funding is always the biggest need. So, you know, we are building an endowment fund in hopes that in, you know, 20 years from now, there'll be ample scholarship funding so that whoever wants to participate is able to do so.
Mertz: Thank you so much, Lindsay.
Cagley: Thank you so much for having me.
Support for this Nonprofit Spotlight series comes from the Aspen Community Foundation.
