Steps are being taken in the Yukon to make an active and healthy lifestyle available to more people with disabilities.
Yukoners with disabilities eager to explore the world of winter sports may benefit from an expansion to the adaptive snow sports program offered at Mount Sima, Whitehorse's ski hill.
Individualized one-on-one lessons for neurodiverse individuals and individuals with a physical or visual disability can be booked free of charge as an introduction to skiing, snowboarding or sit-skiing sports.
According to general manager Sam Oettli, instructors begin with introductions and assessments of the client's capabilities, sometimes pre-arranged during the booking process. Instructors then customize lessons based on the client's abilities and goals, creating a personalized, supportive experience.
Mount Sima will be hosting a ski retreat event for veterans from March 21 to 23. The event is aimed at helping veterans return to a sport they may once have enjoyed, along with friends, family and a certified Canadian Adaptative Sports instructor.
“We’ve been working with Shoulder to Shoulder, which supports veterans in the CADS program. They use skiing and snowboarding to manage issues such as PTSD and physical injuries from service. There are many ways we want to see this program grow,” Oettli said.
Canadian Adaptive Snowsports (CADS) helps people living with disabilities overcome potential barriers to snow sports through establishing partnerships with ski hills across the country. The organization runs a certification program for instructors across the country to provide adaptive lessons for skiing and snowboarding.
“We had a member of the CADS board reach out to us and talk to us about what the program is and how they could help. They wanted to expand the B.C. CADS program into the Yukon,” Oettli said.
Beyond Mount Sima, several Yukon communities are enhancing access to adaptive sports, fostering inclusive local programs that ensure everyone can enjoy activities in the territory.
Scott Dudiak who runs Yukon Fencing has been expanding his sporting organization over the last three years. He discussed with the News that he is creating an inclusive and community-oriented space with consideration towards the club obtaining a paralympic wheelchair for fencing.
The 2025 Guns N' Hoses Charity Hockey Game on Feb. 1 between RCMP and the Whitehorse Fire Department is fundraiser put on by the National Police Federation and the Whitehorse Firefighters Charitable Society in support of Special Olympics Yukon.
Special Olympics Yukon says on their website that they promote the benefits of a healthy lifestyle through sport to improve the wellbeing of individuals with intellectual disabilities. The third annual Guns n' Hoses Charity Hockey Game in support of Special Olympics Yukon will be raising funds at the Takhini Arena.
Whitehorse’s skate park in Riverdale was rebuilt in 2020 with $3.5 million to build an accessible park. Wheelchair MX athlete Darryl Tait provided input on wheelchair accessibility, having previously sustained an injury in a sporting accident.
The News reported in 2012 that Tait was living in Whitehorse at the time and that he had broke his back snowmobiling in a previous incident that took place in 2009. Despite becoming a paraplegic, the News reported he had adapted back to the sport.
Yukoners with disabilities have excelled in sports, undeterred by challenges, such as Stephanie Dixon’s induction into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.
The Whitehorse swimmer and ambassador for the Paralympic movement was previously a coach at the Glacier Bears Swimming club in Whitehorse. According to her Canadian Paralympic Committee profile, Dixon won seven Paralympic Games gold medals, 10 silver and two bronze throughout her athletic career.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
-With files from Stephanie Waddell and Tom Patrick
