NEDS EDGEEdge: sharpened metal strip on the sides of skis & snowboards

Holding an edge is a key to a good turnEdge: a penetrating, incisive quality; e.g., a competitive edge

APRIL 2015

THE

WONDERFUL WINTER CHALLENGE 2015The NEDS Winter Challenge is our season-long fundraising campaign that generates a large percentage of NEDS’ annual revenues. The first part of the campaign includes sponsorships, two raffles and our peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Our volunteers, who were placed into six teams, led by a captain and an intern, shattered records in both participants and donations raised. Our top fundraising team was the Mighty Morphin Blue Room Moneymakers, having raised almost $60,000!The winter campaign culminates in the Kostick Kup race and Winter Challenge Dinner, held this year on March 14, in the tent, at the Whale’s Tale Waterpark. Master of Ceremonies and Celtic Great M.L. Carr donated his valuable time to the NEDS organization and took to the stage at the Winter Challenge welcoming dinner attendees as they feverishly waved napkins in the air, emulating M.L. who, as a player, was well-known for waving a towel on the court to get the fans and teammates charged up for the games. M.L. brought the same charisma, charm and skill to the Winter Challenge dinner as he did to the Celtics, raising more than $6,000 in “fund to need” donations, while gracing our stage throughout the special evening as our Master of Ceremonies. It was a magical atmosphere under “the big tent.” And when it came time to dance, it was Pharrell Williams’ song “Happy” that drew everyone, young & old alike, onto the dance floor to celebrate what’s become NEDS theme song!In addition to the evenings’ “fund to need” donations, the auctions brought in over $30,000 and included the exceptional auctioneering skills of David O’Laughlin. Thanks to all who worked to make the Winter Challenge such a tremendous success!All totaled, this year’s Winter Challenge raised more than $292,000 to support our mission into the future. Thank you to all who donated and participated.

IN THIS ISSUEWinter Challenge 2015

Another Great Season for the PACNEDS Students in IPC Events

Meet the Coaches411 from the Executive Director

BOD SpotlightSummer Programs

Time to Say ‘So Long’Snow Sports Desk

Kolorful Krazy Kostic KupSave the Dates

Message from the PresidentNEDS Hosts International

Paralympic RacesBretton Woods Season Recap

Warfighter Winter Sports Program Student Highlight

ANOTHER GREAT SEASON FOR THE PAC The 2014/15 season marked the twelfth remarkably successful season for NEDS Pre Adaptive Coaches (PAC) program. This year’s PAC consisted of twenty-five (25) energetic, highly motivated and accomplished high school age skiers who contributed their expertise to over 500 teaching days this winter. PAC members Gabi Brait, David Campanella and Christina Walsh led the way and were among the top ten of ALL of NEDS coaches in teaching days.Soon PAC will say good-bye to graduating seniors Caroline Cook (to attend Providence College); David Campanella (to attend University of Connecticut); Dana Brooks (to attend Tufts University); Michelle DeJoie (to attend Plymouth State); Hayley McMorrow (to attend University of Massachusetts, Amherst) and Jack Brait (to attend the Cape Cod Community College Culinary program).The PAC will celebrate its’ annual end of season party and awards ceremony June 13th in the Governor’s Pavillion at Loon Mountain. Mark your calendars and plan to come out to celebrate and honor our awesome 2014/15 class of pre-adaptive coaches.

PAC Coaches (L-R) Gabi Brait, Caroline Cook and Megan Clark attend the Winter Challenge Dinner.

NEDS student Ryan Connelly and Celtic Great and Winter Challenge Master of Ceremonies, M.L. Carr

“FUN”-OMENAL FUNDRAISING

114 amazing individuals participated in our peer-to-peer fundraising campaign as part of the 2015 Winter Challenge. These phenomenal fundraisers brought in over $226,000, blowing through any past fundraising challenge or goal.Way to go NEDS fundraisers!

NEW “HAPPY” WEBSITE

The new NEDS website launched in February 2015, giving us a new look and a “HAPPY” message. Since it’s launch, first-time visitors to the site have made numerous unsolicited donations to our organization and its’ mission, and groups from as far away as Texas have inquired about participating in our programming!!!Thank you website visitors!!

ROBUST RAFFLE

NEDS’ Loon and Bretton Woods raffles raised close to $48,000, led by the incomparable Ian Clemence-Schreiner who single-handedly sold $30,000 in raffle tickets. Way to go, Ian!!

HAPPINESS

...a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.

NEDS STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE IPC EVENTS

During the five-day race event hosted March 22-26 at Loon Mountain, NEDS was proud to have our program represented by a handful of our own student-athletes, Owen Anketell, Vince Skelton, Insha Ashar and Beck Schutte.An accomplished mono-skier, Owen, competed three of the four days, missing only the NORAM slalom event. At just 14 years old, Owen held his own against the best & most accomplished mono skiers in the country, including U.S. Paralympic Team members. On day 1 of the NORAM Giant Slalom (GS), he finished 7th among 12 starters in the sitting division, so impressing the other racers that two teams from the western U.S. talked about having him join them in the future!Vince Skelton, a skilled four-track, stand up skier, was a forerunner (testing the course prior to the first racer) for the US Nationals on Wednesday and Thursday, along with “honorary” NEDS athlete Insha Ashar who also served as a forerunner both days. And looking to NEDS future, student-athlete, Beck Schutte skilled as a visually impaired skier, attended the Monday evening reception and Tuesday races.All of our NEDS athletes spent quality time interacting extensively with the national team racers and other competitors, getting racing tips, equipment advice, and generally being welcomed as part of the “next generation” of national-level paralympic athletes.

MEET THE COACHES, VANCE AND KIM PERRY The NEDS 2014-15 ski season saw several terrific new volunteer coaches join the organization and contribute time, energy and passion to helping people living with disabilities ‘to break barriers’ in sports...and Kim and Vance Perry were no exception!Kim and Vance Perry of Marblehead, MA were new coaches to the NEDS 2014-15 ski season. As full time professionals working for Fidelity Bank in Boston, Kim as Vice President, Portfolio Services - Global Asset Allocation and Vance, as Managing Director, Workplace Investing, these two high-powered executives still found time in their busy schedules to share their enthusiasm and energy as NEDS coaches. Thus, Kim and Vance became a valuable part of the ever-growing NEDS community and have proven themselves to be a great additions to the NEDS team!It’s always “six degrees of separation” or less, when we hear the stories of how people have come to learn about NEDS and its’ mission. In the case of Kim and Vance, it was long-time coach Rina Drake (wife of the president of the NEDS board) who introduced the Perrys to NEDS. Kim and Vance had been friends with Rina’s cousin, dating back to their college days at the University of New Hampshire in Duran. That friendship blossomed into new friendships with the Stevensons, Drakes, Micalizzis, Callamaros and other longtime NEDS families.Talking with new volunteers and listening to their contagious enthusiasm about NEDS and coaching adaptive sports can be exhilarating. It’s exciting to hear a new coach tell his or her story explaining how they became “hooked” by adaptive sports and set forth on a journey to create a lifetime of memorable experiences for themselves and those they “touch” through their generosity of time and energy. When asked, the Perrys talked of their admiration for the organization and had plenty to share: “I didn’t identify myself as a skier, it’s not the first thing I would choose to do,” noted Kim, “but after working with these remarkable students, I wanted to fully commit to doing this!” And Vance added, “...seeing and sharing something I love (skiing) and knowing that I can make a difference and make people happy, that’s when I was hooked on NEDS.”Vance and Kim’s passion for coaching was palpable. They were very animated as they shared quips and inside stories from their lessons throughout the season. Their passion for coaching adaptive sports is clearly evident. When asked what’s going to bring them back next season, Vance replied “How much fun I had and, I want to learn more!”What surprised this dynamic couple most about their first season coaching with NEDS was “what people are able to accomplish in sports and, they don’t let a disability get in the way of their pursuits.”When asked to sum up their first year experiences, the Perrys expressed, “it was an unbelievable experience, we learned so much!” And, when asked what advice they had to share with potential new coaches, they remarked, “ask tons of questions and be proactive, remember, you get out of your experience what you give.”

Owen Anketell

Sadly the 2014-15-ski season has come to an end, but...what an amazing year it has been!This season, which kicked off for our coaches last November, has culminated for the entire organization as one of the most extraordinary ski seasons in NEDS’ history. During presentations at the coaches’ orientation weekend, we attempted to weave together the storied history of NEDS with the many changes on the horizon, knowing that the success of this ski season would be contingent on our ability to blend the past with the future.We recognized that the upcoming season could be uniquely challenging: enforcing stringent new regulations implemented by our partner mountain, Loon; rolling out long-overdue, yet extremely necessary, risk management procedures; and, the daunting task of managing the explosive growth anticipated at our Bretton Woods location -- all while introducing our talented new sports programming staff of Ryan Latham, Nicole Marx and Sara Carper. But, working together as an organization...

WE DID IT!As Executive Director, I could not be more proud of our team’s performance this past winter. Admittedly my perspective is somewhat limited in only my second year; however, we were thrilled to see emails in the past few weeks from numerous tenured volunteers, including Marcia Imbrescia, Rina Drake, Cam McGurk and Mike Cummings who, among numerous similarly positive statements, termed this season “magical,” “one of the best in NEDS’ history,” and stated it was a “privilege to volunteer for NEDS and help further its mission.” We are equally proud that countless attendees at this year’s Winter Challenge dinner, under the big tent, commented, “it was the best one ever.”One of the most remarkable things about NEDS is the dedication of our Board of Directors, over the past several years, to develop an impressive and comprehensive strategic plan for carrying forth Dr. Bob Harney’s vision for achieving the organization’s overall goal to “touch more lives affected by disabilities.” The Board’s strategic framework has four major elements:• Mission-supported, strategic, and measurable growth of the

organization• Smooth and streamlined operations (necessary to support growth)• Financial sustainability for the future of NEDS• Preserving the NEDS culture

For our staff, this season has been all about executing this strategy. We are proud of all that was accomplished toward this end:As for growth, we achieved...• A 13% increase in our total student-athlete roster over the previous

ski season, including a significantly higher number of retained students from the prior year;

• An 8% increase in the number of ski lessons (4% at Loon and 35% at Bretton Woods), in spite of unprecedented cancellations and slow downs due to extreme weather conditions -- including one historic day when Loon Mountain completely shut off lift operations (on the Presidents’ Day holiday, no less!), and another day when 85% of the lifts were closed!

• The launch of NEDS inaugural internship program, in which six very special and highly motivated students from the University of New Hampshire and Plymouth State University provided dedicated and energetic support to every aspect of our operation, including teaching, administration and fundraising, always with a smile!

Winter operations have never been smoother…• Registration, reservations and payment for lessons was streamlined

and far more efficient and time-effective thanks to the implementation of our highly successful Salesforce database!

• As a result of the expertise and amazing efforts of our staff, who assigned coaches, students and lessons early each week, students and coaches alike were prepared and ready to go on busy lesson days;

• And, our students spent significantly more time on the snow with on-time lessons, thanks to our coaches’ efforts and the aforementioned registration and payment processes.

Toward financial sustainability...• NEDS’ overall revenues increased substantially and remarkably this

winter in spite of lowered lesson fees and reduced annual fees to both student-athletes and volunteers!

• Our new “HAPPY” marketing campaign launched and was extremely well received by donors. The campaign also included a new website which launched in February and the website alone drew more than $1,500 in unsolicited donations from new visitors in its first few weeks online!

• Volunteer fundraising was epic this year, amassing over $226,000 from a record-shattering 114 Winter Challenge fundraisers! KUDOS fundraisers!

• The NEDS Foundation has more than tripled its’ value in the last 15 months ensuring NEDS will carry forth its’ mission well into the future!

Finally, about preserving our culture, we’ll let a universally beloved 24-year volunteer speak for all of us...

Marcia Imbrescia wrote, “the feeling in the Harney Center (this year) is warm, kind and friendly - with well trained volunteers working with a professional staff to help teach snow sports to some great kids and adults!”

From my perspective, the true “culture” of NEDS can often be observed at both Bretton Woods and Loon. It’s the perfect balance that we have the honor of witnessing every day during ski season between 9:15 and 9:30 am, and again between 3:00 and 3:30 pm. Those are the magical periods when every segment of the NEDS community: student-athletes, their parents and siblings, volunteer coaches, our interns and staff all come together, sharing the same space at the same time, all focused on the same goal: ‘through sports...changing lives affected by disabilities.’ Those are moments of pure joy and beauty for everybody.The renowned NEDS culture has never been more evident and alive than it was this remarkable season at New England Disabled Sports. Our sincere thanks to all who participated in, and contributed to, our magical year!

THE 411 FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR...

RALPH E. NELSON, JR.EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Ralph

SUMMER PROGRAMS

It’s that time of year! The snow is melting and giving way to Spring and soon we’ll be launching our NEDS Summer programs. We are excited to be offering some old favorites, and adventuring into new programs. We are currently working with various adaptive groups so that we will be able to offer multi-day sports outings in addition to NEDS’ traditional daily sports programs offered in the past.

This summer, gear up for adaptive Golf, Cycling, Paddling and, new this year...Rock Climbing! Stay tuned to our website and email marketing for dates, times and more information on each of our summer sports offerings.

TIME TO SAY ‘SO LONG’

Our 2015 inaugural class of occupational therapy students have completed their internship with NEDS. These ladies brought dedication, talent, compassion, enthusiasm and, most of all, smiles and infectious happiness to our organization daily.On a personal note, our staff and Board want you girls to know that we already miss each and every one of you, and hope you will come back to visit often! Caitlyn, Lindsay, Kailee, Andrea and Risa (pictured left to right), as a group and individually, you can be proud to know that your time at NEDS has positively impacted our lives, the organization, and you left an indelible mark on our hearts.Last, but certainly not least...our organization collectively expresses its sincere gratitude to our Sports Management intern, Cameron Rodrigues. Although Cam’s internship ended months ago, he voluntarily stayed on at NEDS to help execute a remarkable Winter Challenge event. We broke records in the Winter Challenge fundraising campaign and hosted an awesome event -- and a great deal of our success was a result of Cam’s hard work, dedication and attention to detail. Thank you Cam for helping us achieve new heights in our Winter Challenge 2015. Look to see more of Cam in the future!

BOARD OF DIRECTORS SPOTLIGHT - PHIL LEMBO

Phil Lembo is one of our unique members of the NEDS Board of Directors...unique, in that he does not serve as an adaptive ski coach; instead, Phil lends his more than 30 years of financial, management and business experience to the NEDS organization. As a member of the Board of Directors’ Finance Committee, Phil, along with Steve Picardo and Tim Connelly, work closely with NEDS Executive Director Ralph Nelson to ensure NEDS’ financial sustainability, day-to-day fiscal controls and financial reporting. The NEDS Finance Committee members combined brings more than 85 years of financial expertise to the organization.A long-time NEDS volunteer, donor, and member of the Golf Committee, Phil is the Vice President and Treasurer for Eversource (formerly Northeast Utilities), where he has worked for 30 years. He has BS from Salem State University and an MBA from Boston University. He currently serves as Treasurer and Board of Directors member for the Northeast Gas Association. Phil previously served on the Board of Directors for the Melrose Arts & Cultural Association, Melrose LAUNCH, Inc., and the Melrose Elementary School Council. He was also a past President of the Greater Boston Chapter of The Institute of Internal Auditors, Inc. and a part-time professor at Bentley College and the University of Massachusetts-Boston.Phil and his wife, Susan, reside in Melrose, MA and have a second home in Lincoln, NH. Susan is an artist and graphic designer who has donated her graphic design services to NEDS to assist in fundraising and tee shirt design.

SNOWSPORTS DESKRyan Latham, Sports Programming Director

“The struggles and challenges that come before winning any tangible prize are the things that make it very valuable.” ― Edmond Mbiaka

It would be safe to say that this season was marked with great challenges, but clearly, we have reached our collective goal of breaking barriers and changing lives affected by disabilities through skiing and riding. On paper, statistically, our ability to touch more lives is clear, but the numbers cannot show the passion, the smiles, or the relationships built and rekindled each season.

The dedication to the craft of teaching skiing and riding is shown through our PSIA certification numbers, but those numbers are only the tip of the iceberg of the countless hours spent training and honing skills. That our coaches have spent over 4,000 hours this season refining their skill-sets is a true testament to their dedication to serving our mission. To see a complete list of certifications and more information, please visit the Snowsports Blog on the NEDS website at: http://nedisabledsports.org/category/snowsports/

This season was marked by being one of the coldest and snowiest winters in memorable history. Our dedicated coaches are a significant reason why our students return, and our student retention rates show this: 41% of students from last season returned, compared to the national average of 17%! This, coupled with an overall increase in student-athletes served, up 13% from last season, is truly remarkable!

But these numbers only scratch the surface of the true successes we witnessed daily at NEDS. I’d like to share a few quotes from our students and coaches this season:

“This winter I was given ski lessons for Christmas. It was the beginning of a phenomenal series of coaching sessions with several of the NEDS coaches and volunteers who took me from a non-skier rank to a skiing fanatic! Flynnie, Hal, George, Dave, Elle, Bob, Art, Lindsay, and Caitlin are kind, knowledgeable, hilariously funny instructors/coaches/volunteers/interns whose patience and confidence in my ability to succeed made it possible for me to fall in love with a new sport at the ripe old age of 62, proving that you CAN teach an old dog new tricks”

-Wendy Katsekas

“ This Saturday was unbelievable. I was out with Owen, who’s gone from a mountain man to training for the IPC Eastern Nationals. I was lucky enough to be on his first mono ski lesson and now look at him!

“Owen was being shadowed by Andy, who used to run away from our ski school group when I was about 10 and Louise was my instructor. Now he helps Owen load and unload, keeping him company and keeping us smiling.

“We joined up with Beck, who’s one of the most courageous skiers I’ve ever encountered at just 10 years old. And Jack, (who used to be an adaptive skier in the Junior Seasonal group I taught before joining NEDS) was shadowing Beck.

“It was unreal, the feeling I got watching all of them fly down the mountain, hearing their laughter and sharing in their triumphs.

“This picture sums it all up for me. Thanks Terry for helping orchestrate it all, and thanks Peggy and Leslie for trusting us with your kids.”

-Sam Andler

Thank you to all of our coaches for making the magic happen. And most of all, thank you to all the students, their friends and families for choosing to have NEDS as part of your lives.

Ryan LathamSports Programming Director

KOSTICK KUP & WINTER CHALLENGE DINNER 2015

KRAZY KOLORFUL KOSTICK KUPEach year our Kostick Kup racers are encouraged to dress in costume and this year was no exception! There was the WWVD Team (What Would Vince Do), the Skiing Irish, The Wicked Fourth (Patriots inspired 4 time Super Bowl Champs) to the colorful “Tutus” on skis. Everyone had a great day of competitive skiing. Among award winners were the team anchored by Carly Golden (Best Costumes for their colorful tutus), Andy Cummings (Fastest team), and Jackson White (Youngest Racer).

2015 WINTER CHALLENGE AWARD WINNERSKurt Christiansen was awarded the 2015 Kostick Kup Award. This honor is presented annually to the individual living with a disability who has selflessly given back to adaptive sports and its’ community. The recipient of this award is nominated and selected by former Kostick Kup award winners.

Congratulations to Vinny Adamyourka and Curt Stevenson who were recognized as The Dr. Bob Harney Volunteers of the Year. These volunteers were chosen for their demonstrated dedication, commitment, and spirit to coaching individuals living with disabilities in the tradition of Dr. Bob Harney, and selected by Ryan Latham, Sports Program Director and Nicole Marx, Associate Sports Program Director. Congratulations Vinny and Curt for your amazing dedication, commitment, and bright spirits!

Owen Anketell and Vince Skelton were the 2015 recipients of The Brian Russell Award which recognizes the student-athlete(s) who participated in adaptive sports demonstrating passion, perseverance and, who have embodied the spirit of an exceptional NEDS adaptive athlete and our friend and coach, the late Brian Russell. This award winner is nominated and selected by our NEDS volunteer coaches.

To see more photos from the Kostick Kup and Winter Challenge, visit nedisabledsports.org/category/photo-galleries/.

With the Winter Challenge behind us, we can now shift our focus to the exciting events planned over the summer months. Be sure to mark your calendars and join us for one or more of these great events:

Sunrise Ascent on Mount Washington Sunday, August 2, 2015 @ 5AMThis year, NEDS will partner with Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country (ASPNC) for the spectacular fundraising event, “Sunrise Ascent on Mount Washington.” This amazing collaborative event will feature twelve athletes living with disabilities, accompanied by their “mules” or team members, as they ascend the 7.8-mile climb to the summit of Mount Washington. Each athlete and their team will seek sponsors and donors who will help support them on this monumental climb

and in their fundraising efforts. In addition to the 12 athletes from ASPNC and NEDS, there are elite adaptive athletes, who too, will embark this mighty mountain, but without assistance. The ascent to the summit of Mount Washington is by way of the Mt. Washington Auto Road.Last year, more than 180 people, including seven adaptive athletes and their teams participated on behalf of ASPNC. This year it is the goal of ASPNC and NEDS to double the teams participating in this wonderful day of adaptive sports.We are proud to announce that the NEDS student-athletes who have committed to date to lead a team at this year’s Ascent on Mount Washington will include:Owen Anketell Vince SkeltonBeck Schutte Sarah Everhart-SkeelsEach athlete will need to amass their team of “mules” who will assist them with the climb. Every member of the NEDS community is encouraged to come out and participate in this momentous event and support our athletes. If you’re interested in participating on an athlete’s team or would like to support a team, please contact the NEDS office and we will assist you. More information will be available online in May along with a dedicated website showcasing each of the adaptive athletes who will lead their teams to the summit!

New England Disabled Sports Golf Classic Friday, September 18, 2015Hit the links for a day of golf at the 17th Annual NEDS Golf Classic at the Owl’s Nest Golf Club in Campton, NH. Bring your foursome or apply individually and we will help to place you on a team. Your donation includes greens fees, cart, a gift and a delicious lunch at the Club at Owl’s Nest. Registration is limited to the first 144 golfers. There will be a shot gun start at 9AM. Join us for a great day of fun! Watch our website for more details as the tournament develops.

NEDS Evening of Inspiration Friday, September 25, 2015 at The Langham BostonOur extraordinary 1st Annual fundraising event, An Evening of Inspiration for New England Disabled Sports, will be held at the historic and beautiful Langham Hotel Boston. This magical evening will showcase inspirational

disabled athletes who will share their extraordinary stories; feature celebrity guests; and, showcase a very special not-to-be-missed musical performance. A special guest star will be the Master or Mistress of Ceremonies and the Langham Hotel Boston will cater a gourmet dinner preceded by cocktails and hors d’oeuvres. This business-attire star-studded event will have silent, live and ‘fund-to-need’ auctions...mark your calendars as you will not want to miss this extraordinary Evening of Inspiration!

SAVE THE DATES

NEW ENGLAND DISABLED SPORTS

Evening of Inspirationat

I would like to thank our students, families, coaches, and staff for a very successful winter season. We experienced some great times and some difficult times throughout the season, but through it all we created great experiences for our students, and we thank our volunteers and staff for making them happen!

This past season marked tremendous strides in the development of our organization...I’d like to highlight some key areas of success to date:

1) Over the past two years, NEDS has added new staff with world class experience who have excelled in executing both our strategy and our mission - ‘...through sports, to change lives affected by disabilities.’ Our entire NEDS team brings a tremendous work ethic, passion, and drive for excellence every single day, which is greatly appreciated by all.

2) NEDS reduced lesson fees by 20% and eliminated the annual student fee entirely, in line with our intention to continue making lessons affordable for a wider group of student-athletes.

3) NEDS reduced annual coaching fees from $100 to $25, not only to show our appreciation to those who volunteer time and expertise, but also to make the volunteer effort more affordable for all coaches.

4) NEDS invested in its’ infrastructure with building improvements, systems implementation, and equipment inventory as key areas of investment. The Board of Directors believes these investments have set up the organization for growth with minimal additional investment necessary over the next 5+ years.

5) NEDS implemented a highly successful multi-year marketing campaign, “Happy,” that has set the organization up for success in our ongoing fundraising efforts. Utilizing leads provided by our coaches and student families, combined with our professional videos, marketing materials and new website -- all with a unified message -- we are positioned for successful and expanded fundraising for the next several years.

6) NEDS partnered with the Brait family foundation to match the Braits’ generous sponsorship of first-time students and their families, affording them the opportunity to participate in our customized and individualized sports lessons. This partnership “opened the door” for 40 new families and students this year to participate in outdoor sports through NEDS.

7) Last month, NEDS executed a highly successful international race in partnership with Loon Mountain and the Loon Race Team (LRT). This IPC (International Paralympic Committee) sanctioned race was a world-class event and our hosting of the event keeps NEDS in line with its mission of serving a wider specturm of the disabled community.

8) Last but certainly not least...NEDS is on track to record its best fundraising year ever! Through increased participation of our coaches, families, students and friends in our Peer to Peer fundraising campaign and, our investment in the systems allowing us to orchestrate, organize and successfully record with ease, each donation, we saw remarkable results! This is in line with our goal of reaching long-term financial sustainability.

We could not be more proud of the long and successful strides we’ve taken as an organization and, once again, we thank everybody in the NEDS community for all your efforts in making this such a highly successful year for our organization!

Mike DrakePresident

A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

Mike DrakePresident

March was a huge events month for NEDS! Aside from the successful 26th Annual Kostick Kup Race and Winter Challenge Dinner & Auction, NEDS hosted both national and international adaptive skiing events. In partnership with the Loon Mountain Resort and the Loon Race Team (LRT), NEDS hosted the first and only east coast stop on the North American Paralympic Race Circuit (“NORAM”), which also includes venues in Canada and the western United States. The second event was the U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing National Championships for slalom and giant slalom.These prestigious races brought racers from four different countries to the NORAM event on Monday and Tuesday and more than 35 racers daily to the mountain throughout the week.Effectively hosting events of this magnitude takes a tremendous amount of work and dedication on the part of many. Jessica Harney and Mike Cummings, two members of NEDS Board of Directors, chaired this combined event and the NEDS organization provided more than 35 volunteers to support the races, including the generous dedication of several regular weekend NEDS coaches, and interns from Tufts University, University of New Hampshire and Plymouth State University... Thank you all!!!

Long-time NEDS volunteer, Bri Boyle, oversaw gatekeeping throughout the week and the Loon Race Team (LRT) provided the lion’s share of race support & timing in addition to creating the start areas, putting up and taking down B-netting, creating the finish area, providing course maintenance, and their contributions go on! The course experts at Loon, in conjunction with LRT, did a fantastic job!It’s hard to overstate just how successful these races were for all...From a race perspective, the four races (eight separate course sets) were executed almost flawlessly. The races started on time, no one was injured, and the non-Loon race professionals involved were all very complimentary of the hill and race execution.Mother Nature is often the wild card in these events and, with the exception of Sunday and Monday mornings, the weather was perfect! And after, the Monday and Wednesday night receptions, exceptionally catered by Loon and The Purple Tomato restaurant, many expressed that they didn’t want the events to end.Evidence of the race’s great success was the fervent way that the U.S. Paralympic (USP) leadership, and the racers themselves, requested of NEDS to host the USP National Championships for Slalom and Giant Slalom, in 2016! Stand by...more news to come on that front.

Bretton Woods has always been known as a quiet, beginner-friendly mountain, great for families and vacation-goers, just across the road from breathtaking Mt. Washington and the prestigious Mt. Washington Hotel. New England Disabled Sports is proud to be partnered with Bretton Woods (BW) and Omni Resorts, completing our 3rd season together April 4, 2015. This season however, was far from quiet; we have seen meteoric growth, increasing 35% from 344 lessons last year to 466 lessons. Had it not been for crazy weather and immensely cold temperatures, we likely would have seen even more lessons go out; but we are, without a doubt, still very proud to have accomplished these tremendous increases in the lives we touched!Our historically busy season kicked off with a bang during Christmas vacation -- almost double the lessons from the prior year! Then, in January, we immediately moved into facilitating one of our many groups that come to BW throughout the season: Northeast Passage. This group of kids living with disabilities, all under the age of 18, and whose families serve in the military, come from across the country. They participate in skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, and ice skating; however, they have all agreed that the skiing and snowboarding lessons at BW were the highlight of their weekend in New Hampshire and they are looking forward to next season!January is also the month that we begin our work with weekly school groups; this is a six-week program with schools from around the region, including Vermont. We had students almost every day of the week, all of whom looked forward to coming to Bretton Woods; so much so, that several students often refused to come off the mountain at the end of the day! We had some special breakthrough moments with school group kids this year. Corbin comes immediately to mind, who was known to not be highly interested in skiing. However, with a little creativity from our interns Caitlin and Lindsay, they had Corbin dancing out of the office, into his skis, and onto the slopes! It was a great moment for his father to witness...thanks to the magic touch of our NEDS interns!

Our season continued with the Diana Golden Race Series on January 24th, where we hosted 18 racers from around the area including a few of our own: Vince Skelton, Beck Schutte, Peter Keller, and Ian Clemence-Schreiner. It was a great day for racing and we look forward to making next year’s event bigger and better, so sharpen those edges!February was just as busy with Massachusetts and New Hampshire vacation weeks, the Veteran’s Appreciation Day on the 1st, and Spaulding Adaptive joining us on the 21st. This was also our coldest month by far! When we saw “frost bite” signs posted on a daily basis we knew we had better bundle up and stay warm!February was also the month that we had an instructor join us from the UK! Cristina Baker, who had lived in Massachusetts 20 years ago, quit her job, travelled “across the pond,” and came to us for two months looking for more experience and training. I would say she got it, since she is already making her plans to come back next year and looks forward to seeing all the familiar faces...as well as new ones!We started to quiet down come March, but when I say quiet, I mean we slowed down compared to the rest of the season, as were still over last year in lessons going out on the snow! School groups finished up the last of their days of skiing around the time we kicked off the Warfighter Weekend event. All in all, it was busy, HAPPY season continuing to serve our mission.By any standard, it was a great season and everybody at Bretton Woods is looking forward to next year. We have received many compliments, thanks and even some baked goods from our students, accolades which, of course, could not have been achieved without the help of our incredibly dedicated BW coaches and generous “traveling” Loon-based coaches and interns; a big THANK YOU goes out to all of you for all your hard work in making this a record-breaking season at Bretton Woods.

Nicole MarxAssociate Programming Director

NEDS HOSTS INTERNATIONAL PARALYMPIC RACES

BRETTON WOODS PROGRAM “BLOWS UP”

New England Disabled Sports had the honor of welcoming back our distinguished military veterans to the snowy White Mountains for the annual Disabled Sports USA and Warfighter Sports Winter Weekend. Heavy hitters from the adaptive skiing world such as current X Game Mono-X Gold Medalist and Olympic Veteran Chris Devlin-Young, came out to help coach this year’s event. This collaborative event has included coaches from both New England Disabled Sports and Waterville Adaptive Snowsports, who have taken part in this unique family event annually. This year, they were excited to invite coaches from the Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country (ASPNC) based at Cannon Mountain.

The four-day event kicked off at Bretton Woods on Thursday, March 19 with beautiful weather and stellar views of Mount Washington. Friday, the crew visited Loon Mountain, where after a long day of skiing, the veterans were treated royally with table massages by the therapists from the Mountain Club on Loon, who graciously donated their time to provide relaxing massages to our military skiers. Followed by the most beautiful day of all at Waterville Valley on Saturday, where temperatures were warm enough to ski without a coat.

A day at Cannon Mountain was an added bonus for veterans who had the opportunity to ski there on Sunday, the final day of the event. And, Mother Nature did not disappoint, bringing the classic Cannon wind and cold on the final day, creating a true East Coast skiing experience for all.

The NEDS community was overwhelmed by the level of camaraderie that was pervasive when more than 16 veterans gathered together. Intern and coach Cam Rodrigues, after witnessing the event for the first time, summed it up best, ”there truly is a brotherhood among veterans with whom we were honored to to be included.”

This event only becomes more special with evening gatherings at the homes of longtime NEDS volunteer, “Mama” Mia Jacobsen’s house in North Woodstock and the Kealys’ home in Waterville, where they provided dinner and a relaxing place for everyone to get to know each other off snow, and share their stories from the day. ASPNC generously hosted the participants at their end of season banquet held at Woodwards Resort in Lincoln. There, veterans were called up to the stage by name and rank for well-deserved recognition of their service to our country. The entire event, coordinated by Kathy Chandler, is a huge success with many of the participants returning year after year.

WARFIGHTER WINTER SPORTS PROGRAM

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTTravis Wescott

Travis Wescott’s life changed forever on April 1, 2012 when an ATV accident nearly cost him his life. The result of that watershed moment was a jeep ride out of the wilderness to Speare Hospital in Plymouth, a medevac helicopter ride and a three-month stay at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. On that fateful day, Travis joined nearly 450,000 Americans living with a spinal cord injury, from which recovery is more than just regaining strength, but requires perseverance, mental fortitude and a strong, supportive community.Fast forward to the summer of 2014 when Geoff Krill and Cameron Shaw-Doran, both of whom had suffered similar injuries, literally pried Travis out of his bed and into a water ski. It was only then that Travis realized the numerous opportunities to participate in sports and recreation available to those living with a spinal cord injury. After having grown up with an active lifestyle, Travis felt that he had lost something that April 1st, but hadn’t yet realized just what he had gained.In December 2014, Travis joined the NEDS community as a snowsports student-athlete. NEDS coaches skillfully fitted him into a mono-ski and he embarked on the journey to become a skier. Learning to ski after a traumatic injury isn’t an easy task and certainly has its ups and downs. Recently Travis recalled and shared the following story:

“On a particular powder day I was falling every three seconds, I was wet, miserable, and having a hard time relating to my coaches’ instruction. I learned that day to respect the mountain, realizing that the weather and other factors can and do change. The mountain had control of me, I didn’t have control of the mountain that day.”But, as the season progressed, Travis learned more, gained more skills, and was soon able to ski the entire mountain independently; thus, working with the mountain as opposed to the mountain working against him. Lately, Travis has even started to investigate racing and other competitive skiing opportunities!Among the things that stand out in Travis’ mind about NEDS are the coaches and the community. “I didn’t know there were that many well-rounded, good people,” he noted. “It is heartwarming to learn that there are genuine individuals out there. It’s so great to be around good people, and it gives me motivation and the “oomph” when I need it most. It’s another reason why I chose the path I’m on...to give back, and to help inspire others.”Travis credits many people along his journey who have had a positive impact on him, including Kaitlyn Smith (who Travis calls “Snow Mom”), Brett Lucas, Sam Andler, Hal Sandstrom, Harrison Keyes, Rene Varrin, Bruce Greer, Dave Micalizzi, Cam Shaw-Doran, Geoff Krill, the NEDS programming staff, and countless others.But, Travis singles out one particular coach: “Seth Chandler really put things into detail on how the ski works, he kind of showed me how my body would work with the ski. He put so much into the lesson and put so much work into making me comfortable in a mono ski. He taught me how to really get on my edge, and then ride my edge.”Among the most powerful insights that validate the power of the NEDS mission, and supports the dedication and hard work of our volunteer coaches and professional staff can be understood by asking student-athletes, “how has NEDS affected your life outside of the program?” Travis responded quickly stating, “In every way possible. NEDS has helped me be more patient, I’m in such a better mood and I’m able to better deal with other problems. It’s shown me how to be more focused, motivated, how to move forward and expand beyond the circle of friends and family that I’ve been in for two or three years now. NEDS opened my eyes to the things I can do and has shown me how independent I can be. I’m on the path to going back to school, back to work and being more independent in general. It’s motivated me to be on the path to independence. I’m not going to talk about it and then do it. I’m going to do it then talk about it.”

THE "MIGHTY MORPHIN" BLUE ROOM MONEYMAKERS

This team of volunteers raised a record breaking $59,571 during the 2015 Winter Challenge taking the award for most money raised by a NEDS fundraising team, resulting in captain Chris Baylow and Board president Mike Drake accepting the dare to ski Loon Mountain in grass skirts and coconut bras should their team exceed $50,000. We bow down to you "Mighty Morphins" and thank you for your dedication to our mission of '...touching more lives affected by disabilities!'