Our Choices Can Make us Free.

To start off today's blog post, I would like to announce that I will be doing a presentation at the Arts Building on January 25th at 7pm. Anyone is welcome!

Yesterday, I went skiing for the first time this year. I have been a member of the Canadian Alpine Disabled Skiers or CADS for several years now, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. If you were to ask me five years ago what I would be doing, I would have never imagined that I would be flying down a hill in a sit- ski. I didn’t even know it existed. For those of you who do not know what it is, a sit ski is a sled with two large skis on the bottom. When I am going down the hill, I have two small poles attached to arms that allow me to shift my body weight and make my turns. Gliding down the hill in my sit- ski is one of the best feelings in the world. I crave the excitement and adrenaline it gives me. It makes me feel free! Skiing has ultimately helped to become a more confident person, pushing me to set goals for myself and to keep going, even when life proves to be challenging. My ski hill “family” has played a huge role in helping to accept who I am as an individual. I am surrounded by an amazing group of people who believe in my abilities, and have a special knack for making me laugh until my stomach hurts.

Yesterday, I think I spent more time laying sideways in the snow than skiing down the hill, because it took a while for me to get back into the grove of things again. One of my instructors always says, “If you’re not falling, you are not skiing.” This statement couldn’t be more true. Falling is a part of life, but also a learning experience. All that matters is that we get up and keep going.

One of my favorite parts about yesterday was when I had the opportunity to ski with a young girl, who was curious about how my sit- ski works. After we finished a run together, I gave her the opportunity to ask me questions. This is something that I feel is extremely important, because it allows people to see that despite my challenges, I am the same as everyone else.

Our choices can make us free. Free to enjoy life. Life is not always easy. Everyone struggles with something. I have learned that even though we cannot choose what happens to us, we can choose how we react to our challenges. I refuse to be a victim of Cerebral Palsy. Instead, I have chosen to jump at the opportunities that come my way. Sit- skiing is just one of these opportunities.