Utah is renowned for its world-class ski culture, attracting adventurers from around the globe. While most ski resorts offer thrilling powder days for anyone seeking excitement, one stands out by offering something truly unique: a chance for people of all abilities to experience the magic of the slopes.
Park City Utah has partnered with the National Ability Center to provide adaptive ski and snowboard programs, allowing those with disabilities to feel the exhilaration of a bluebird powder day.
The program trains instructors to know how to curate a unique and safe experience for each participant. Participants range from those with physical disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, to those with intellectual disabilities, such as down syndrome. Thrill seekers who are visually impaired or hard of hearing can also participate in the center's adaptive ski and snowboard program.
Hailey Griffin, a professional skier, shared her journey with the center.
Six years ago Griffin was injured, resulting in a spinal cord injury; this left her having to rely on a wheelchair. Shortly after, Griffin was introduced to an adaptive ski program in Cresteduke, Colorado where she learned to monoski for the first time.
Griffin instantly “fell in love” with the sport and began dreaming of one day going to the Paralympics.
A couple summers later she met a friend named Matthew Brewer who is on the national team as a mono skier. Brewer convinced Griffin to come out to the center and train with him in Park City.
With the help of adaptive ski programs, Griffin said she was able to learn how to ski again “pretty quickly.”
“I love being able to be just as good, if not better, than able-bodied people,” Griffin said.
She also loves how skiing pushes her out of her comfort zone and allows her to grow.
“I also really love that it scares me, like it pushes me. I love having to conquer my fears,” she said.
Talking specifically about how the center has helped her work towards achieving her dreams of the Paralympics and having the ability to be on the slopes again, Griffin said, “They've just become my family. I couldn't be here without their support. Everything here is so cool and I've learned so much from everyone.”
Griffin's sights are still firmly set on the 2026 Paralympics as she hopes to work her way onto the national team this next year.
The center has inspired many to chase their dreams through their adaptive ski and snowboard program.
With the help of instructors and volunteers who “ski with a buddy,” others are able to have similar experiences to Griffins.
Brian Castillo, the Ski and Snowboard Senior Program Manager for the center, recalled a participant all the way from California with cerebral palsy who had the dream of skiing down the slopes with his grandfather.
The two spent time working on the boy's ability to stand and built up strength, and eventually he and his grandfather were able to accomplish their goal of skiing together.
Castillo recalls “his grandpa skiing with his oxygen tank and then him (the grandson) in the slider.”
He continued saying it was one of those heartwarming moments that brings tears to your eyes.
These opportunities are available through the National Ability Center and the instructors that dedicate their time and talents to learning how to adapt one of Utah’s most popular sports to be accessible to anyone and everyone.
Castillo says that all the instructors and him “are driven to make that happen.”
The home base for the center is located on the Park City side of the mountain resort and has recently relocated to a new building with more space for participants and the unique gear needed to adapt the sport to meet everyone's needs.
The center has a number of options for those with disabilities who are interested in taking on the challenge of skiing or snowboarding.
They have a number of ski options ranging from “2-track, 3-track, 4-track, Mono-Ski, Bi-Ski, snow slider, ski bike, snowboarding, and guiding skiers and riders with low vision or blindness” according to their website.
They also provide a buddy to ski with for those participants who have the strength to use regular skis but need a little extra support to get around the mountain.
Either way each instructor and volunteer has special training that is going to provide each participant with the needed help to have a successful day on the mountain.
Adelaide Hopkinson, a BYU student who is volunteering this year, said, "I love skiing and I want to be able to share that with everyone."
As Hailey Griffin and countless others have shown, skiing is not just a sport but a way to transcend limitations, conquer fears and chase dreams. The National Ability Center makes this possible for people of all abilities, proving that with the right support, the slopes truly are for everyone.
