SIMPLE THINGS, THAT CAN BE
A BIG CHALLENGE.
THAT'S WHY BRIAN AND EILEEN
FOALLY STARTED POTTER'S
PLACE
GIVES THEM A CHANCE TO SKI
TOGETHER AS A FAMILY.
WE SPENT THE DAY WITH BRIAN AND
EILEEN.
POT TAJ PLACE IS AN ADAPTIVE
SKI PROGRAM WE
STARTED IN 2009, INSPIRED BY
OUR OWN SON PADRE.
THERE WERE NOT A LOT OF
PROGRAMS THAT COULD TAKE
KIDS AUTISM THAT WERE ALSO
NONVERBAL SKIING.
GIVING HIM TO A REGULAR SKI
INSTRUCTOR WASN'T GOING
TO WORK EITHER.
MY FAVORITE PART OF SKIING
IS DOING THE CHAIR
LIFT AND GOING DOWN THE HUGE
HILL.
I MEAN, A LOT OF OUR
MOTIVATION BEHIND STARTING
POTTER'S PLACE IS WE WANTED A
FAMILY LIKE OURS TO
FEEL LIKE THEY HAD AN ACTIVITY
THEY CAN GO AND DO
AND NOT FEEL LIKE THE
DISABILITY WAS GOING TO BE AN
IMPEDIMENT.
ONE OF THE MORE INTERESTING
THINGS I HAVE SEEN IS
SHOWING RESPECT FOR SOMEBODY IN
A WHEELCHAIR IS
ACTUALLY KNEELING DOWN TO THEM
FACE TO FACE, TALKING
TO SOMEBODY, BECAUSE THEY'RE
ALWAYS LOOKED DOWN AT,
BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE CHAIR.
THEY SEE THE INSTRUCTORS --
THEY FIGURE OUT WHAT THE
KID NEEDS OR PERSON NEEDS, AND
SHOW THAT RESPECT.
KIDS OUT HERE, WE'RE SEEING
HOW EACH KID'S GOING
-- YOU'RE SKIING SO FAST.
THAT'S AWESOME WHAT YOU'RE
DOING.
SUDDENLY SOMEBODY IS SEEING
THEIR CLASSMATE THEY SEE
IN A WHEELCHAIR ALL THE TIME.
SUDDENLY THEY SEEM FASTER THAN
THEM.
A LOT OF IT IS COMING AND
OBSERVING.
HOW DO I BE A PART OF THAT?
.
GO DOWN THE HILL FAST.
YOU SEE HIM OUT THERE,
SLIDING.
THAT MAKES YOU WANT TO DO IT.
YOU WERE AWESOME OUT THERE
I WAS.
DID YOU GO BACK AND FORTH?
.
YEAH, I WAS.
I MAKE CIRCUMSTANCES, LIKE
A LOT OF SENSORY
FEEDBACK, A LOT OF STIMULATION
FROM THE SNOW: THE
SOUND OF IT, FEEL UNDERNEATH
YOUR SUCCESS, PRESSURE
OF THE SNOW.
IN SOME CASES IT'S A GREAT FIT,
BECAUSE A LOT OF
THOSE KIDS ARE LOOKING FOR
STIMULATION, AND IT'S
CALMING TO THEM.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE AN
EXPERT.
WE'LL TEACH YOU.
WE'LL TRAIN YOU.
THE SKI SCHOOL HAS A POOL OF
INSTRUCTORS THEY USE
THAT ARE TRAINED BY POTTER'S
PLACE.
I KNEW I CAN DO IT.
OF COURSE YOU CAN.
HE WAS SUCH A CHARACTER, SO
MUCH FUN
WE HAD JACOB, EMILY, AND
BRIAN, AND --
THEY MADE THESE AWESOME
SHIRTS FOR US.
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED.
THEY PUT US INTO A -- THAT'S
WHAT YOU SAW THERE.
THAT WAS SEATED.
LET'S SEE IF WE HAVE THE VIDEO
OF IT.
MIKE AND I DECIDED TO TAKE A
RACE.
HERE WE GO.
TEAM MIKE VERSUS TEAM NATALIE.
LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
YEAH.
.
AWESOME.
YEAH.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A
TEAM EFFORT.
EACH SKI HAS A TETHER, AND
SOMETIMES WHEN YOU'RE NEW
TO IT, YOU HAVE A SECOND PERSON
HELPING GUIDE --
DIRECT YOU ON WHAT YOU DO.
YEAH.
IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.
AND, BOY, THOSE PEOPLE HAVE SO
MUCH ENTHUSIASM.
SUCH A COMMITMENT TO HELPING
EACH OTHER.
SO THOSE SIT SKIS ARE ONE
PIECE OF EQUIPMENT THAT
POTTER'S PLACE USES.
THEY COST, LIKE, $3500.
THEY'RE EXPENSIVE.
TONIGHT IS THE EVENT HOSTED
BY POTTER'S PLACE.
THE EVENT FOR SKIERS AND NONSKI
VERSE A CHANCE TO
NOT ONLY HONOR THE
PARTICIPANTS, BUT ALSO THE
DONORS
AND SUPPORTERS OF POTTER'S
PLACE.
STARTS AT 5:30 AT BUCK HILL.
THERE'S ALSO A SILENT AUCTION
AND LIVE MUSE YOU CAN
AS WELL.
IF YOU WANT TO CHECK THAT OUT,
GO TO WCCO.COM.
I'M SURE SHE WOULD BE HAPPY
IF YOU WANT TO GET
INVOLVED AND HELP TEACH THE
CUDS TO SKI.
THEY'RE LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
ALL THE TIME.
WE HAVE A LINK TO THEIR WEB
SITE ON OUR WEB SITE.
SO CONGRATS TO EVERYBODY OUT
THERE YESTERDAY, AND
PARTICULARLY TO NATALIE FOR
WINNING.