Ringing cowbells, upbeat music and loud cheers from an enthusiastic crowd formed the soundtrack for the Shining Stars Winter Games on Thursday, as kids with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses competed in a series of slalom races on Buttermilk Mountain.
David Schadle, from Boulder, was watching from the sidelines of the course on Panda Peak. He’s a certified adaptive ski instructor who also works with Foresight Adventure Guides for the Blind in Vail.
He was in Aspen last week to work with the Shining Stars program, and will head to Snowmass Ski Area this week to support the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.
Schadle is a veteran himself, and after he served in Vietnam, he suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. He said his work as an adaptive ski instructor helped him heal and find a new sense of purpose.
“I got myself straightened out and I found this and the rest is history,” Schadle said.
“This is my joy, and it's also my therapy,” he added.
The Shining Stars Winter Games officially concluded last Friday.
The annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic begins Monday, and runs through Sunday. It will welcome hundreds of veterans to Snowmass Village for alpine skiing and snowboarding as well as other sports, like cross-country skiing and curling.
