Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, a nationally recognized non-profit organization that provides recreational sports to people with disabilities, has selected John Collins, of St. George, to receive the 2023 Kellen Sams Memorial Leadership Award.

“John has been a tireless and enthusiastic volunteer for many years,” said Erin Fernandez, executive director at Vermont Adaptive. “John makes himself available in all sorts of manners, from training new volunteers to jumping in on most any lesson regardless of the difficulty or challenge and sometimes providing legal advice, too.”

Collins began volunteering with Vermont Adaptive in 2003. He has taken full advantage of opportunities to further his skills and knowledge and is an AASI certified snowboard instructor. His outgoing and infectious personality is a wonderful addition to any Vermont Adaptive lesson or outing. He is always a helpful assist on ski lessons, even though he is a snowboarder. He makes every experience fun, educational and productive for clients and volunteers.

“John greets everyone with a huge smile,” said Tony Blake, a fellow volunteer instructor. “He visits the mountain throughout the year both snowboarding and hiking, and he provides an unmatched ability to make everyone around him laugh and enjoy the entire experience that Vermont Adaptive offers. Over the many years of his volunteering, he has continuously worked to improve his skills as an instructor and as a leader.

Kellen Sams was a great outdoor spirit, teacher and avid adventurer. But most importantly, he was a compassionate friend to all he met. Tragically, despite preparedness, the highest safety measures, and years of training and experience, Kellen lost his life in an avalanche in February of 2010 while backcountry skiing the San Juan Mountains of Colorado.

In honor of Sams’ commitment to outdoor experiential education of the highest quality, the Kellen Sams Memorial Leadership Award was established. The purpose of the award is to further Sams’ legacy by providing recognition for those Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports’ staff, volunteers and interns who show the greatest commitment to professional development and leadership within the organization.

Sams committed his life to further outdoor and experiential education for all regardless of their abilities. His adventures included work experiences with Outward Bound, a summer chasing rattlesnakes and black bears off the Appalachian Trail, and honing his gentle teaching skills at the adaptive ski program at Crested Butte Resort in Colorado. He was proud to have completed New Hampshire’s “Presi Traverse” in a day. Through all these experiences and his desire to strive for the best in his personal and professional life, he demonstrated his competence as an outdoor educator and his dedication as a friend.

To learn more about Kellen Sams and the scholarship and leadership programs at Vermont Adaptive, visit www.vermontadaptive.org/get-involved/kellensams/