While mother nature chose to not cooperate in Nova Scotia with her January dumping of Atlantic rain, mom Cheyanne and Hayden headed off to Ontario where the weather was more favorable to skiing.
Hayden met up with his guide Annalise Surmann at Craigleith the weekend of January 31 thru Feb 2 for some focused slalom and giant slalom training with members and coaches of the Ontario Para Alpine Ski Team (OPAST).
New Friends in High Places
While training with OPAST Director, Gwen Binsfield, Hayden was invited by the Canadian Alpine Ski Team (CAST) Women’s Team – who was also training at Craigleith – to join them during their Giant Slalom practice.
Hayden and Annalise spent the day carving the same slopes as our great Canadian Women’s World Cup athletes.
Mutual Admiration
It turns out that as much as Hayden was inspired by the skill and speed of the CAST racers, they were also moved by what Hayden and other disabled skiers bring to the sport.
In this Instagram post by CAST member Erin Mielzynksi, she points out how incredible it was to see such a young skier “charge down the same course as World Cup athletes” and goes on to thank him for showing them how to be brave and persevere.
Huge Thank You
We can’t thank everyone enough for their involvement in such an incredible experience. In particular, a huge thank you to Annalise Surmann for once again guiding Hayden. Without her, and all the CADS volunteers, para alpine wouldn’t be possible.