Breaking barriers on the mountain.

The annual Adaptive Snow festival ended last month, hosting two day training camps for people with disabilities across NSW and Victoria.

Snow Australia has joined with Disability Wintersport Australia (DWA), the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) and Paralympics Australia to provide opportunities for individuals that may not have the accessibility to enjoy the snow. Each year, Snow Australia provides professional instructors, guide equipment, accommodation and snow passes to reduce the barrier for people wanting to learn to ski and snowboard.

“Every resort’s different in terms of accessibility, and for me it just shows what I really like about these events. It is the awareness that comes from it afterwards,” Cofounder Bobbi Kelly said.

“Everyone works together to make it a good experience for people. To see them experience their first time on snow, yeah, it’s very rewarding and it’s so beautiful to see the community coming together like that too. All being a part of it.”

“And then they get to experience the snow, which is something that I think everyone should experience.”

The uncomfortability that comes from learning to ski or snowboard for the first time is a privilege that not all get to experience. Catching speed down a slope that feels so steep and having riders weave around you like you’re a slow moving snow plougher. Then there is the consequence of falling, which for some can be bigger than others.

“Everyone coming together and learning from each other, knowing that they can do it on their own is a cool barrier that we can try to take away for them. I think they don’t need us, but we are there to support them coming to try and know how the resorts work so they can come back again the next year,” she said.

The barrier can often be a lot more than low confidence. It can carry a weight of travel accessibility, financial stresses, resources and time. Even the small details that can get overlooked like accessible equipment for people who are learning to ski with one less leg, or directional signs which are inclusive to all. Neve Mula has participated three times in the Adaptive Festival, and found that through community, challenge transpired into a fun experience she kept returning to. “It wasn’t super busy ’cause it was the end of the season. So we were easily able to get on the chairlifts and T bars and stuff like that. So that was really nice,” Neve said.

“My instructor was very supportive. She could see my progress before I did, so she was, like, OK, we can move up, sort of, to a different run this time, and so she knew I was ready for harder stuff. So that was really good that she was able to recognise that before I did.” Barriers can be difficult to forge when it is not experienced within our personal sphere. These events act as the reminder that community is the compound which motors valuable changes within our environment.

“Well, I think it’s just such a great experience. You meet amazing people. You get to go down to the snow, you’ll have amazing instructors. And I think everyone should, if they can, get involved, ’cause it’s really, really fun,” – Neve.

Go to the Snow Australia website for more information on registration and news, or additionally
jump to the Paralympics website to get in contact.

Photos: https://www.paralympic.org.au/