BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — Jade Hemphill, 12, feels like a lot of us do when facing a big, new hurdle.
“I’m honestly kind of scared first, but I’m actually kind of excited now,” she said.
The Florida girl has seen snow before, but never played in it — yet alone skied down it. She's in good hands, thanks to staff at Breckenridge Ski Resort, who are teaching her the ropes.
“Pretty amazing," Jade's father, Kurt Hemphill, said about his daughter learning a new skill. "You know, we couldn't believe it. Like when she came down the first time, she was a little bit scared. But the second time, she was having so much fun."
Jade has spina bifida. Her parents adopted her from China four years ago.
“We just knew she was going to be our daughter. So it’s been an amazing journey with her,” said Jade’s mother, Kelly Hemphill.
This trip to Breckenridge part of that journey.
“We are so grateful for Wheelchairs 4 Kids to give us this opportunity. To come up here and ski and be like every other kid, have opportunities to have fun,” said Kurt.
The Florida nonprofit, Wheelchairs 4 Kids, is dedicated to improving the lives of children with physical disabilities. This is the second time they’ve taken a group skiing.
“Once we saw the reaction of the kids and families and the bonding, and the kids recognizing they can do things they never dreamed possible, it was like, "We have to do it again,"” said Madeline Robinson, executive director of Wheelchair 4 Kids. “A lot of times, they’re not invited to birthday parties, they don’t get invited to the movies, with their peers at school. So, we’ve got our community, you know. We want to make them feel included."
The nonprofit teamed up with Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, which provides ski and snowboard lessons for people with disabilities and special needs.
“It’s a really rewarding job for all my staff and myself and giving people the opportunity to get on the hill and enjoy the sports we all love to do,” said Jeff Inouye, ski program director for the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center.
It’s something the participants, including Jade, will never forget.
“It was cool. It was great,” said Jade. “I actually got to experience everything and have snowball fights.”