Wake the World Adaptive

[wspeedin]

I posted this over on wakeworld but I really wanted to share it with all of my Supra friends! Here in NC we have an organization known as Wake the World. Im sure many of you have heard of this organization and maybe have contacted them to get something going in your area. Well, over the winter I worked with Greg, the founder of the organization, on setting up an adaptive waterski clinic within the Wake the World program. This week was our first clinic and it was so amazing! I mean, really, really inspiring and life changing.
Now, mos tof you know that I myself am in a wheelchair and have been wakeboarding for about three years now. I suffered a motorcycle accident which left me paralyzed with a spinal cord injury. Accidents like this cause alot of people a bunch of grief and regret. Worse are the individuals who have known no different becasue they have had a disability since birth. Well, the regular, able bodied world has so many fun things to do but are so limited in their adaptive avenues of those fun things to do.
We are all lucky enough to own boats and are able to go out on the water at a minutes notice. These guys with disabilites, for the most part, dont have that luxury. So to put on this event was a blessing and an honor!

We spent two days on Badin Lake, NC with an organization called "UCanSki2". They spent the first day teaching all of our volunteers how to teach the disabled to ski. So, we all learned and then the second day out it was our turn to take over and actually teach a clinic. We are lucky enough to have such great volunteers. Whats even more impressive is the age of our volunteers. How awesome is it that a 12 year old would be willing to donate two days of his summer vacation to help out this cause.
To be a safe quality prgram we have to have a boat driver, a safety pinner (they release the rope from the boat in event of a fall), and side skiers.
So,
Without further adeu....
Here is our group of volunteers getting ready for a nice show ski around the course.

We got them in the water and made them ski a lap.

[wspeedin]

[wspeedin]

So after they got out we got started.
Our skiers for the day were a spinal cord injury similar to myself who has skied before and was jsut looking for some advanced training. And we were happy to teach him all we knew.


The next skier was a survivor of Polio and he had skied once before in another program. So we put him on a kneeboard and by the end of the day he was starting on his own and hitting surface spins consistently.

Look at this grin!


Our skier after that had a developmental brain disorder and had never skied before in his 24 years of existence.
This is a photo of one of our side skiers introducing himself and becoming a trust worthy companion.

[wspeedin]

We got him in the water


And up for his first ride of his life!!!


Look at him go!


The day was getting towards the end and two of the skiers asked me if I would show them a move or two on the water and give some helpful tips. So all three of us piled in the water and got ready for a ride.

[wspeedin]

We hooked up and I called for the launch


Up we went and down the lake to do some coaching



The chase boat was gracious enough to snap a few pics of me while I gave some room for the others to practice what I jsut told them.

[mdb122]

The smiles on ALL of their faces made it all worth it Very Cool ! Great Pics, and Great you were all able to do that .

[csuggs]

Will. That's awesome man! Wish we could have been there. I am really looking forward to seeing all of you guys on Monday!

Clint

[wiatowski]

Wonderful way to let others enjoy the sport!!!.... awesome job to you and the organizers.