At the base of Holiday Mountain in La Rivière, Man., Kyle Calder straps himself into a sit-ski. He slips on his outriggers, digs them into the snow and makes his way to the lift.
“My progression has been pretty good,” Calder said.
By the way he moves, it would hard to know Calder only learned to sit-ski a week ago. He fearlessly carves his way down the hill, looking for any air he can get.
“I needed to get out and try something different,” he said.
Calder lost part of his right leg from a cancer diagnosis of osteosarcoma in 2018. He now has a prosthetic and embraces life to the fullest.
“Everything’s all good as far as cancer’s concerned. I kicked its butt and now just looking to do new things and create new opportunities,” Calder said.
Calder’s positive outlook is what led him to the slopes.
His friend and ski instructor Chris Maxemuck told him about a new opportunity through Manitoba Alpine. The organization is offering a free lesson, lift ticket and rentals for those interested in learning how to para-ski.
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The experience that would typically cost $250.
“Outside of mobility issues, that’s probably one of the bigger concerns,” Calder said. “The financial burden of things.”
Calder took Maxemuck up on the offer and just over a week ago, the two met for a lesson. Now, Calder’s hooked and Maxemuck is determined to help others.
“Adaptive skiing is relatively new to Manitoba, ” Maxemuck said.
Maxemuck first got a taste for the sport while working with Rocky Mountain Adaptive in Alberta. It made him want to provide the same experience to Manitobans.
He’s passionate about growing the sport by teaching adaptive skiing to people like Calder so they can zip down the slopes independently.
“Skiing is a very social activity,” Maxemuck said. “This leads to group engagement and a sense of community, which leads to improved physical and mental well-being.”
Maxemuck isn’t the only one trying to grow adaptive skiing.
Winnipegger and Invictus Games athlete Lealand Muller wants to see the sport as a whole become more accessible.
“Being a wheelchair user, there’s a little more logistics involved in planning a ski trip,” Muller said.
The next Invictus Games are in British Columbia in 2025, where adaptive downhill skiing will be added for the first time. Muller wants to be involved in making those games more accessible. He has booked an adaptive ski trip in Banff, Alta., this week and is looking forward to learning what is needed to make alpine sports an option for people with physical disabilities.
“I have been assured it’s accessible but it will be up to me to make that final decision on how accessible it is and what can be improved upon going forward,” Muller said.
As for the free opportunity to learn adaptive skiing in Manitoba, Maxemuck is urging people with disabilities to take advantage of it soon. The hills are only open until late March and the funds sponsoring the free opportunity expire shortly after.
“We are helping break down barriers so people can give this a try, see how they like it and hopefully that leads to a multi-year progression,” Maxemuck said.
Skiers like Calder can attest, it doesn’t take long to get hooked.
“I hope that this leads to potentially more people following after me here and coming out and trying this and falling in love with it like I am right now,” Calder said.
Inquiries about the program can be sent to programs@skimanitoba.com.
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