What had I just agreed to do! I had arranged adapted ski trips for people with spinal cord injuries and people with amputation, but never with a group of people with severe acquired brain injuries. I decided that high risk activities with people with acquired brain injuries is part of the community re-entry process and proceeded with the plans. Some had never been skiing before their injury and one person had sustained a brain injury as a result of a skiing accident.

With one staff person, a family member, and six people with brain injuries, we started the trip to Massanutten Ski Resort full of anticipation. We packed lunches, snacks, and extra clothes for the trip back to Charlottesville for those people who might take a few falls. We arrived without any problems and walked to the lodge to have lunch and wait for Mark to meet us. Mark came shortly and got us started on the ski rental process and then on to the slopes.

At the Adaptive Snow Sports trailer, we met our volunteer instructors from Madison House. Mark made the instructor assignments and off we went onto the staging area and then to ski lifts. Emotions ranged from ecstatic to timid about what was coming next. Once everyone got that first ride on the lift and came down the slope for the first time, everyone was ready to go up again! There was so much positive energy from the instructors and the skiers that people were shouting words of encouragement from the ski lifts to the skiers on the slopes. Other skiers and onlookers were commenting on the instructors and seeing that people with brain injuries can learn to ski with some adaptations. After 3 hours of skiing, everyone was ready to call it an afternoon. There was still a little energy left to get everyone together for a group photo. On the trip home, almost everyone fell asleep from all the wonderful outdoor experience and had great stories to tell when they arrived back at the therapy center on Monday morning.

Our thanks to Mark Andrews for coordinating the trip and arranging for the Madison House instructors. Another big thanks goes to all the Massanutten Resort ski rental staff and ski lift staff for their patience in helping our group have a successful experience. They were absolutely super!

We're already planning on going again next year!!

Virginia NeuroCare
Virginia NeuroCare offers a unique, client-centered and family-focused therapeutic program for adults with acquired brain injury. Addressing real-life goals in home, community, and school or job settings, our multidisciplinary team of rehabilitation professionals works in partnership with each client to enable self efficacy and independence in rebuilding a fulfilling life after injury.

Mission:
Virginia NeuroCare is committed to improving the lives of persons with acquired brain injury by maximizing independence and facilitating re-entry into family and community life. Our treatment program is client-centered, interdisciplinary, community-based and innovative. Our staff strives to prevent acquired brain injury by increasing public awareness through education.