NEWRY, Maine — It's not easy to learn to downhill ski on just one ski, but for some people that's the only option.
Maine Adaptive helps kids and adults living with a disability learn to ski on one ski during their annual Mono-Ski Camp. Seventeen athletes signed up this year, including 7-year-old Kellan Tilton who was born with a tumor on his spine that paralyzed him from the waist down. He wasn't sure if getting into a bucket on one ski would be possible.
"Just sounded fun, and I asked my mom and said 'I can't ski', and my mom said, 'Yes, you can', so I wanted to try it," said Tilton.
The four-day training clinic took skiers up Sunday River to learn balance and speed from clinicians like Geoff Krill. Krill has spent a number of years racing professionally on one ski all over the world. He'll never take for granted the feeling of cutting through fresh powder. It's a sense of confidence Krill wants participants to take into their own lives.
"It's more than teaching skiing," said Krill of the camp. "When I say that it's awesome, in a lot of ways it can save or change the direction in somebody's life. It's really pretty cool."
The Mono-Ski Camp has already happened, but Maine Adaptive has free services the rest of the winter to teach folks how to ski. Click here to find out more.