Blind Skiers Conquer Tahoe Slopes: A day kicked off with participants gathering at the Sacramento-based Society for the Blind office before sunrise. It was time to load their belongings and head up the mountains to Palisades Tahoe for an adventure of a lifetime.
Each blind skier teamed up with a certified instructor who guided them down the slopes. It’s all part of the annual Blind Ski Day organized by a Sacramento-based ophthalmologist with the help of Achieve Tahoe and Sacramento Society for the Blind.
“It’s a great gift to be able to share this with other people,” said one participant. “As you can see from around, it’s beautiful up here. I don’t care if you can’t see it often – everybody feels how gorgeous it is to be at the top of the mountain.”
After putting on safety gear, it was time to hop on the aerial tram and hit the slopes covered in snow at over 8,200 feet in elevation.
“So it’s been 30-plus years since I’ve been on skis,” shared Edward Moran. “And it was… it was not easy at first, but started catching on.”
For Moran, the moment he skied down the mountain, a surge of empowerment washed over him. “You know, I haven’t moved as fast since… since I’ve lost my sight and stopped driving a car. But when you’re on skis, you’re moving different. And it was nice to be able to go ahead and do that.”
Along with forging friendships with other participants like Jessica Gunnels, who is also blind. “Having my guide there with me helps push me forward a lot,” Gunnels said. “She’s always going, ‘You got this! You’re amazing! Top of the world! You got this!’ And so we were out there on the slopes just killing it.
Source: raialkhalij + aljazeera