Thoughts

One of the sports my family was never going to try was skiing. Over the years, I have tried to encourage my children to pursue sports like bicycling, basketball and baseball -- sports in which one buys equipment once and defrays the cost with each use. Not so with skiing. Since skiing requires lots of equipment and lift tickets, not to mention travel to an area mountainous enough to offer the sport, I had avoided this particular adventure. Last year, my friend invited us to join her family to see if my boys liked skiing. Now we save money for cold, wintry vacations.

Let me tell you about skiing and Jordan, my 11-year-old son with Down syndrome. At Boyne Highlands, Michigan, where we ski, several of the instructors and the ski school directors are from Austria. After Jordan's first day skiing in a small group, Jordan decided he loved skiing -- especially the speed. He continued in a group lesson a second day and still chose to throw his body into the snow to stop, but by now he was hooked on skiing.

On our next trip to Boyne, I spoke with the ski school director, Andrea, about private lessons for Jordan. I had reservations about this based on good-old-fashioned American arrogance. After all, we are the most progressive country in the world -- are we not? Knowing that many European countries do not yet embrace inclusion of children with differences within their schools, I was concerned that someone from a different background may not accept Jordan. Since Boyne employs about 70 instructors, only ten Austrian, I asked Andrea to choose an instructor best suited to Jordan. She did -- Heidi. Heidi is from Uttendorf, Austria, and looks to be about 21-years-old. She smiled a sparkly smile at Jordan and schussed away with him. They were going to ski.

There is a small hill designed just for beginners, and this is where Jordan spent his previous lessons, so this is where I looked for him. Looking over all the gentle slopes, I saw no sign of Jordan and Heidi. As the time for his lesson to end neared, I did, however, see someone who looked just like him ski off the chair lift and down a regular slope! With Heidi at his side, Jordan was controlling his skis and safely coming down the hill. On the second day of private lessons, Jordan called out to me from the lift which services the intermediate slopes; again, a surprise to me.

On each return visit to Boyne, we requested lessons with Heidi. On our second trip, after their two-hours lesson, Heidi could hardly contain herself as she bounced on her heels and said with her lilting accent, 'Jordan, don't you have something to tell your mother?" "I skied a black diamond!" he beamed. It was so hard to know at that moment whose pride was greater - mom, son or teacher.

Jordan's favorite hours of each ski-day are the two he spends with Heidi. Heidi has told me that she has gained as much from teaching Jordan as she has given. But she has given him so much. She gave him the ability to be an independent skier and to fully participate in the family activity. Now when he and I get off the lift, I know that we can enjoy the journey down together. As a mediocre skier, I had assumed that I would always have Jordan to ski with. He has surpassed me; I still cannot ski the difficult runs. For those, Jordan must ski with his dad and his brother, Harper. I am happy to wait at the chalet with hot chocolate - until Heidi can teach me some new tricks.

And so a young woman from Austria has made a significant contribution to the life of an American family - we all learn so much when we open our hearts and minds. Thanks Heidi and Andrea, for knowing that Jordan could learn to ski. Tshuss! See you in December!