Nov. 18, 2025
Each winter, Anne Castine makes the trip from her home downcountry to the familiar slopes of Bromley Mountain. It’s not just the mountain the real estate agent returns to—it’s the people, the laughter at lunchtime, the moments shared with students who discover something new about themselves.
“I grew up on this mountain,” Anne says, reflecting on her deep roots in Vermont. “My grandparents lived down the road. I learned to ski here. I taught my own kids to ski here.”
Now in her sixth season as a volunteer first with Bart Adaptive Sports, which is now a part of Vermont Adaptive, Anne brings more than just local knowledge—she brings connection, warmth, and a willingness to jump in wherever she’s needed. Her journey began much like many others: with curiosity and a bit of free time. “All my kids had grown and flown the coop, and I was looking for something new and fun to do,” she says. “I just made the call, and I’ve never looked back.”
What Anne found was something deeper than she expected—a reciprocal joy in being part of someone else’s milestones. “There was a young girl, 14 or 15, with Down syndrome,” she says. “She kept saying, ‘I can’t do this.’ I kept saying, ‘Yes, you can.’ And after the lesson, we got to the bottom, and she gave me this huge hug: ‘I did it! I did it! Can we do it again?’”
Anne doesn’t have a “favorite” type of lesson. For her, each is unique—whether assisting someone with a visual impairment or supporting a student who needs time just to get comfortable in their mittens. “Every lesson is so different from the last that you can’t really get hooked into one,” she says. “It keeps you flexible.”
What stands out for Anne is how families become part of the community, too. One family bought a home near the mountain after just one weekend of programming. Another student tried every sport—karate, swimming, nothing clicked—until skiing did. “Then the whole family took up skiing,” she says.
For Anne, volunteering began as a way to give back—but also to stay active and connected during the winter. “I sort of did it selfishly at first. I just wanted to ski,” she laughs. “But I never guessed how much I would get from it. I’d go home at night after two lessons, exhausted—but I’d be having the best time ever.”
The connection among volunteers is just as meaningful. “We all sit around at lunch, chatting and laughing. It’s a good group,” she says. “It’s community. We’re all together.”
When asked what she’d tell someone thinking about volunteering, Anne doesn’t hesitate. “You don’t have to be trained in adaptive sports,” she says, as Vermont Adaptive provides all the training necessary for its volunteer instructors both on the snow and off. “But you’ll be surprised by how much you get from it. It’s a shared experience. The student gets something—and so do you.”
This Giving Tuesday, as we celebrate The Things We Share, Anne’s story is a reminder that sometimes the greatest gift we can offer is simply showing up—with time, with heart, and with the willingness to learn alongside someone else.