Outdoor recreation

Winter fun for everyone

Nonprofit teaches disabled vets to ski, board

Laura M. Levering/Northwest Guardian

With its many bodies of water and mountains, Washington is an outdoor paradise. It is also a place of dreams for hundreds of children and adults with disabilities.

Thanks to “Outdoors for All,” a nonprofit organization based in Seattle, many of those dreams are becoming a reality.

Outdoors for All began in 1978 with 15 children learning to ski Summit at Snoqualmie. Today, “more than 2,000 children and adults with disabilities exercise their abilities” through outdoor recreation.

Rachel Wyrick, a military spouse and mother of three, is one of more than 700 volunteers who help make the program successful.

Wyrick’s involvement with OFA began 13 years ago when she went snowboarding at Snoqualmie. After seeing pamphlets for the organization’s annual fundraiser, she decided to participate as a way to learn more about OFA. Now she serves as a volunteer and instructor.

“It’s nice that I get to go out and do something that’s making a difference,” Wyrick said. “Plus, it’s a lot of fun.”

As a veteran volunteer with the winter program, Wyrick is required to attend a series of clinics in December before taking to the slopes in January.

“All of the volunteers have a certain amount of clinics they have to attend,” she said. “It’s basically your refresher — talking about how to be a good teacher, going over movements and all that stuff.”

She also teaches some of the clinics.

“When brand-new volunteers come in, I help evaluate their skiing and riding ability to get an idea of where they should be placed as volunteers.”

Wyrick hits the mountain every Sunday morning, where she and a team of volunteers meet with individually assigned students. Some of the students are visibly disabled; others are not. All have their challenges.

“You’ve got different behaviors you’re dealing with, and the emotions are different,” Wyrick said. “Sometimes you’re dealing with people who are going to get tired a lot faster, and others don’t know their limits.”

Wyrick recalled one of her more physically challenged students — a young boy who lacked balance.

“I literally put him on and off the lift,” she said. “When he would fall, I would pick him up, and when he’d catch his balance, I let him go,” she said.

Another student has been with the program for so long that her ability to snowboard has gotten so good that she blends in with others on the mountain.

“She’s at the point where (she and her instructor) will go off to other parts of the mountain, and her instructor’s teaching her how to do little jumps.”

Wyrick said she volunteers with OFA because of the students.

“I feel good about myself when I’m out there,” she said. “I know that sounds kind of selfish, like I’m doing it for me, but I feel like I’ve accomplished something.”

In the eyes of John Stevenson, OFA program and training director, Wyrick is anything but selfish.

“She has a genuine care for us putting out a quality product, in terms of the lessons we offer to participants,” Stevenson said. “She cares about the program’s mission and always gets high marks from the folks who take her classes.”

Wyrick said that while her main focus is teaching students, she never misses an opportunity to learn.

“Working with these people has definitely opened my eyes to being much less judgmental about people with disabilities,” she said. “They’re just like everyone else ... They don’t want to be ostracized or stick out like a sore thumb.”

“This program can allow a person a pathway to being in touch with themselves and their disability in a healthy way, and that’s what (Wyrick) is helping ensure happens,” Stevenson said. “It’s about allowing people to exercise their abilities as opposed to their disabilities.”

Stevenson hopes more volunteers like Wyrick will come forward to help not only with the winter program, but with other activities that happen year-round.

“We have a lot of opportunities,” Stevenson said. “If anyone has any inkling at all that they might want to volunteer, just contact us.”

“We find a way to use just about anybody,” Wyrick said. “It’s very rewarding and something that will make you feel really good about yourself.”

Program eager to serve wounded

“Outdoors for All” has a partnership with the Warrior Transition Battalion that provides wounded service members — veterans and active duty — an opportunity to participate in a variety of outdoor recreational programs at no cost to the service member.

“Our goal is to get people in need the help and knowledge that they need so that they can continue to be active and enjoy the outdoors,” said Gail Loveland, associate executive director of OFA. “We hope to help Soldiers who are looking to continue being active in a new way.”

The program focuses on Wounded Warriors with physical disabilities, but also serves those with behavioral-health challenges. Winter program activities include snowboarding, snowshoeing and skiing, while spring and summer bring on a host of new activities.

Costs of equipment rental and lift ticket are covered for service members. Transportation is also available upon request.

Outings can be scheduled as group programs, individual or private lessons. Those who wish to participate with family members may do so at a low cost.

“Depending on each individual case, their families might be able to have their costs covered, as well,” Loveland said.

Getting outdoors and being active can have a positive, healing effect on service members.

“People are seeing again what is possible for them to do,” she said. “Just getting a boost of encouragement that says, ‘What I viewed my life as may be different, but I can still have a very successful and fulfilling life in a different way.’”

It can also benefit the family members, added Rachel Wyrick, military spouse and OFA volunteer. She tells everyone she encounters with a physical disability about the program in hopes of them taking advantage of it.

“A lot of people end up stuck at home because they don’t realize there’s stuff like (Outdoors for All) out there,” Wyrick said. “It’s nice for the families, too, because it’s kind of like respite.”

“We are extremely excited to be out there to help serve our Wounded Warriors and our veterans,” Loveland said. “We have the dollars to support them, and we have the human resources ... We just need people to sign up and take advantage of the programs.

“We’re committed to this program and making a difference. Just tell us what you want, and we will make it work for you.”

Anyone interested in scheduling a lesson or wishing to volunteer should contact Loveland directly at (206) 838-6030, ext. 208. They can also get more information from the OFA Web site: outdoorsforall.org.

To see a gallery of Outdoors for All on the slopes at Snoqualmie, click on the following link:

Photo gallery