A special group of Texas teenagers will soon hit the ski slopes in Winter Park, Colo., for a week, as American Airlines and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children team up for the 30th annual ski trip. This year, 14 teens with amputations will participate.
Snow skiing is an activity that is particularly well adapted for amputees. Dallas-based Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children encourages its patients to challenge themselves during this experience. With specialized equipment, patients often excel at the sport and, in some cases, become competitive skiers. The teens will be at Winter Park’s National Sports Center for the Disabled, one of the world’s largest outdoor therapeutic recreation agencies.
“The annual amputee ski trip provides an opportunity for our patients to grow emotionally and gain self-confidence by being surrounded with other teens facing similar life experiences,” Don Cummings, director of prosthetics at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, stated in a press release. “When faced with the challenge of learning to ski with their peers, alongside dedicated volunteer instructors, any boundaries they may have envisioned before the trip suddenly disappear.”
During the ski trip, the group will participate in ski activities designed to foster a sense of self-confidence, independence and discovery – attributes that can remain with these young adults throughout their lives.
