The Idaho Challenged Athletes Foundation is hosting their winter sports weekend which includes sled hockey at Idaho IceWorld and both downhill and nordic skiing at Bogus Basin.
Zach Sherman is a triple amputee who lost three of his limbs in a devastating motorcycle accident.
But having the opportunity to snowboard makes a huge difference in Zach's life.
"A lot of the things I do day-to-day have changed, but snowboarding is one of those things where it is a level playing field," said Sherman. "I’m not the slowest person on the mountain."
Amy Dixon grew up skiing in Vermont, but as she got older she started losing her sight. Amy is visually impaired with severe tunnel vision and two percent visibility. She was ripping up the slopes on ski with the help of a guide.
"It's wonderful, it's different than what I grew up with, I'm used to ice," said Dixon. "It's amazing to be safe and have fun because skiing is a little nerve-racking when you can't see."
Dixon competed on a professional level with Team USA's Paralympic team in cycling and triathlons. As she began to lose her sight the Challenged Athletes Foundation stepped in to help.
"They taught me how to do it and gave me funding for my first tandem bike and here we are 13 years later," said Dixon. "Now, I’m skiing with them as I retire from summer sports."
The winter sports weekend is the largest event of the year for the Idaho Challenged Athletes Foundation, bringing 76 adaptive athletes from Idaho and all over the country. It's a clinic that provides new opportunities for people with disabilities. It also involves several different organizations and a ton of volunteers.
"It is one of my favorite weekends of the year and I’m always looking forward to anything the Challenged Athletes Foundation has done out here in Idaho," said Sherman. "I’m glad new people who have never tried it are out here trying it for the first time."
Grants are a key component of what the Idaho Challenged Athletes Foundation does and it usually involves equipment for adaptive athletes. There will be some surprise grants in between activities at the Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse.
However, sometimes the grants can be something different. The Challenged Athletes Foundation gave Zach Sherman a grant to travel around the country snowboarding and it even included a surprise meeting with the legendary Shaun White.
"We got to do a few laps together and it was awesome," said Sherman. "I was starstruck."
