Jean Larson and Andrea Goddard have just returned from the annual National Ski for Light event in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. This is a program that teaches blind and mobility-impaired participants how to cross country ski. A blind skier is paired with the same guide for the entire week. They ski in well groomed tracks that are about an arm’s length apart. The guide uses verbal commands. As they ski along together, you will hear, “Turn right… Step left… Coming to a slope… You’re halfway down… Curving right…Left snowplow…Whoo-hoo….. we’re at the bottom!”  A tangible trust develops between skier and guide as the week progresses.

Andrea has cerebral palsy as well as being blind, so she skis in a Sit-ski, a small sled with skis attached to the bottom. Her guides describe the terrain and push or pull her up the hills when the polling gets too hard. They also tip her up if she falls over! Jean is thrilled to say that she and Gordon have participated in Ski for Light for 40 years and Andrea has joyfully attended for 15 years and she says, “Skiing gives me an opportunity to inhabit my body and move through space differently from how I normally do. No hesitation or fear. The thing that keeps me going back is the strength of the coaching relationships and friendships that I have forged with my guides.”

To learn more about the SFL program and see some videos, go to SFL.org.