By Maddie Lindgren, intern, Vermont State University, Class of 2025

With her mom trailing behind her, and two Vermont Adaptive instructors in front, 10-year-old Sora swiftly descended the slopes at Bolton Valley during a recent especially bright, sunny Sunday. As her two instructors led the way, Sora copied their exact movements and turns, almost like the game Simon Says. One of her favorite things to do is to ski off the designated tracks as well. She is a trailblazer and loves to wind around the edges of trails and explore the scenery that surrounds the ski area. As soon as her eye caught a glimpse of a trail going off into the woods or around a tree she would instantly stop and quickly turn to her desired destination.

Each day of skiing with Vermont Adaptive is an opportunity to learn new techniques and phrases. Maggie, one of Sora’s instructors, guided her through her turns down the trails. Maggie used a creative approach and gave Sora a word (trail) to shout out if she wanted to ski in a certain direction. When Sora saw a trail that excited her, she would yell “trail” for everyone to hear. This new technique became important, as you could hear Sora shouting, “Trail!’ every time one caught her eye.

Sora also learned the art of sliding on the snow with your skis facing horizontally. Maggie wanted to teach Sora another easier way of slowing down on the mountain or to use if her skis popped off and she needed to get them back on while on the slopes. After a quick demonstration by her mom, Amie, and Maggie, Sora flipped her skis to a horizontal angle and started side-slipping down the trail like a pro. 

Sora is not only a vibrant skier on the slopes; she enjoys many activities. She shows off her rock climbing skills with Vermont Adaptive instructors when she isn’t conquering the terrain at Bolton Valley. She also enjoys playing basketball in the winter and soccer in the fall and likes to swim in the summer. She has many diverse interests and likes to continually build her skills across all of them, usually with a big smile on her face. 

One of Sora’s favorite memories of skiing was of a delicious victory following a ski race. A treasured moment made a lasting memory when she was met with the sweet reward of lollipops at the end of her ski lesson. However, that’s not the only delicacy Sora enjoys after skiing. Her go-to snack is a platter of crispy, golden french fries. “We don’t usually eat those at our house, only after skiing!” Amie said.

Sora is a thrill seeker with a big heart who doesn’t mind a challenge. She loves to learn new things about skiing and new techniques on how to ski better. Whether it is skiing down the slopes at Bolton Valley or climbing up a rock wall, Sora is determined to master any new activity she tries.