SHAWANO, Wisconsin (WFRV) – We’re introducing kids to an activity they never thought they could do.
That is the goal of the Shawano Ski Sharks Believe and Ski Program.
On Friday afternoon, three children with different abilities were able to take part in their adaptive ski program. It was a chance for every child to make their first attempts at water skiing.
“It was beyond cool, it was epic,” said Dalton Schmidt, one of the adaptive skiers.
The Ski Sharks have been running adaptive ski programs for about seven years. It’s something the team members look forward to every time.
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“They have big smiles out there and are always laughing,” said Jack Strachan.
The adaptive skiers use a water ski with a chair attached. Two members of the Ski Sharks ride alongside them to help them on the river.
The ski team bought the special skis through donations from the community.
“Skiing is one of my favorite things to do, it’s something I look forward to every year,” said Strachan. “If I can show it to someone who would never experience it if we didn’t have a program, it’s very rewarding, even more so than skiing myself.”
“Showing them that it’s possible is super exciting,” said Ski Team President Dave Passehl.
Passehl said they have adaptive skiers on their regular ski team. In fact, he said they won the most original performance at a tournament recently, having an adaptive skier pull a pivoting skier around the lake.
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Shawano Ski Shark officials said they typically enroll five to 15 children in their adaptive ski programs when they enroll them.
“I think it’s one of the greatest things we do on this team,” Strachan said.
The Shawano Ski Sharks have been around for about 36 years.
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