YORK COUNTY, Pa. — Adults recovering from traumatic injuries took to the slopes at Roundtop Mountain Resort. It was all possible thanks to what's called 'adaptive ski day.'
One by one, each person rode down the hill in their own style using equipment that has been adapted to their disability and physical needs to help them ski.
"It makes my day when I see someone that had a spinal cord injury come down untethered in a sit-ski," said Nancy Lokey, Penn State Hershey Physical Medicine Rehab. "That's amazing to me. I have a hard time coming down the mountain myself so, to watch them do it is just awesome."
The adaptive ski day was hosted to help individuals increase activity outside, improve their health and wellness, and their overall quality of life.
"This was fun," said Javier Ortiz from Severn, Maryland.
"They get to get out there and do something and not look at their disability," said Lokey. "They're looking at their ability and that's what we strive for in all aspects of rehab is to get them to look at their ability and not disability."
Adaptive Ski Day will be hosted by the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Penn State Health Rehabilitation Hospital, Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics, Inc., and Baltimore Adaptive Recreation and Sports.