Currently, there is only one training center in the United States for paralympic skiers. The U.S. Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, N.Y., opened in November 1982, with a new facility built in 1989. But for many disabled skiers and coaches, not having a West Coast training center is a formidable challenge.
But now, according to Sun Valley Adaptive Sports Executive Director Tom Iselin, his organization is exploring the possibility of building a paralympic training center and multi-purpose sports and recreational facility in the southern Wood River Valley for people with disabilities.
"It's all a brainstorm right now," Iselin said. "The primary goal is to build a facility that will accommodate the needs of local children, teens, and adults with disabilities. We have a small office in Ketchum, but more than 90 percent of our participants live south of Ketchum."
He said a central location would be a place where participants can meet, play and train.
"Our wish list for the design of a facility includes a group home for local adults with disabilities," Iselin said. "It also includes a wave pool, rock climbing wall, ropes course, bowling lanes, kitchen, game room, gym, rooms for physical and occupational therapy, a large multi-purpose room for activities such as basketball, roller-skating and pottery."
The exploration is "moving forward," he said. "We've dropped some seeds. I've called the Paralympic Committee and they've provided the qualification documents and expressed their interest in supporting us during our exploratory research."
There is a training center in Chula Vista, Calif., that is a multi-sport training facility. Though some paralympic athletes train there, it does not have facilities for skiing.
Adaptive Sports is hoping to attract a host of corporate sponsors, which would negate the need for private donors.
"I also called the Pentagon," Iselin said. "They've expressed interest because they would like to see more resources available to help the thousands of service members returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with spinal cord injuries, amputations, burns, blindness, and traumatic brain injures. These young men and women are motivated to use sports and recreation as part of therapy. Sports builds physical skills and self-confidence, but it also provides hope, inspiration, and sense of purpose."
Anyone interested in joining the SVAS Facilities Committee or wishing to donate land should contact SVAS at 726-9298.
Tom Iselin
