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New England Ski for Light
One of the great things about the AMC is being able to help others get outdoors and find enjoyment and fun experiences. The AMC has an ongoing partnership with NESFL (New England Ski for Light) where some AMC members have been acting as sighted guides for visually impaired participants on skiing and snowshoeing trips. This coming winter there are a couple opportunities for AMC members to become sighted guides for cross country skiing. This is a fantastic chance to be outside sharing a meaningful, fun experience with some other great people and helping to open up the outdoors to everyone.
“I was moving quickly but confidently, independent of my cane, guide dog, or someone’s arm, even if for just a few moments of absolute bliss…”
With NESFL, our group of volunteer organizers and sighted participants set the stage for our visually impaired participants, to cross country ski and snowshoe in the winter, hike, kayak, tandem bike ride in summertime. NESFL will be training you and you’ll also be with visually impaired participants who have experience being led by sighted guides in skiing. Trails are expertly groomed; nordic ski tracks are set up to be optimal for our use. There are some other aspects of guiding off the snow woven into the trip such as pairing to help at mealtime, and offering sighted guide technique, we will discuss, for walking to and from the dining hall.
“It may take a bit of courage for someone who cannot see to take to skis but it also takes courage for a sighted person to take on the guide responsibilities. It should not be surprising, therefore, that the entire group, those blind or visually impaired as well as those sighted, were a highly motivated and positive lot, determined to brush aside any perceptions of physical limitations in favor of embracing the challenge of this wonderful sport.”
Volunteer as sighted guide for skiers who are blind! There is an orientation session on each trip and no prior experience is needed. This is a fantastic chance to be outside sharing a meaningful, fun experience with some other great people and helping to open up the outdoors to everyone. To help support diversity and inclusion in the ski community, the AMC Boston Ski and Ride Committee provides partial reimbursement of guides trip costs to Boston AMC skiing community members.
In 2022 NESFL will have two winter ski and snowshoe trips and needs volunteers who can ski. One is in early January at Craftsbury Common in VT and one in early March in Bretton Woods, NH. To learn more about this partnership please contact NESFL President and Boston Ski and Ride Committee member Susan Bueti-Hill by e-mail at suebue@yahoo.com or by phone at 617-999-9384.
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