The stories below highlight the power of possibility. Whether your goal is to chase a Paralympic podium, ski with your family, or learn to paddleboard, Challenge Aspen is here to help people with disabilities find the courage to challenge the expectations of others and believe in themselves, no matter the odds.
Challenge Aspen brings the transformative power of outdoor recreation, art, and community to individuals with disabilities, creating moments of joy, growth, and independence. But we can’t do it alone. With your help, we can continue to break down barriers, foster confidence, and build a supportive community where everyone can thrive. Please donate today.
Kendra floated out onto the lake. She hadn’t managed to stand up on a paddleboard yet, but today was the day.
She took a deep breath, got up on both knees, and then, at first shakily, then triumphantly, she stood up on top of that paddleboard for the very first time.
Kendra Fernandez is a sassy, adventurous, independent young woman. She was born and raised in the Roaring Fork Valley and is a recent graduate of Roaring Fork Schools. In her graduation speech, Kendra spoke about how she was proud of herself for going out of her comfort zone this past year to try skiing, archery and paddleboarding with Challenge Aspen and how it helped her grow and become more independent.
Adam
Adam Lavender started mountain biking in the early nineties. He loved the sport, and excelled at it, racing downhill at a semi-professional level, and helping to establish many of the area’s now beloved trail networks.
In 2012, Adam suffered a fall at a Freeride Mountain Bike World Tour event. The vertical impact caused Adam’s C4 vertebrae to burst, leaving him an incomplete quadriplegic from the neck down. Since that day, Adam has embodied the spirit of resilience, but recognizes that healing is a never-ending journey, and certainly not one without struggle. It took him two years just to be able to lift his arm. The key is to celebrate the wins, and never stop working towards your goals. This past summer, Adam teamed up with Challenge Aspen to ride his adaptive mountain bike on a local trail for the first time since his injury. And that was a big win.
The world of adaptive mountain biking is exciting new territory, and Adam is at the forefront of it, just like he was at the forefront of the sport all those years ago.
Cantrell
Life is full of unexpected twists and turns.
Cantrell was on his way to play college basketball when he became a victim of gun violence and suffered a gunshot wound to the temple. Cantrell’s injury left him completely blind and with a language impairment, but, miraculously, still alive. Alive, and with the opportunity to start again.
After he was released from the hospital, Cantrell was enrolled in Tennessee School for Blind, a school that supports their students to live their lives to the fullest and to find ways to adapt in a world that was not designed with them in mind. The school is a longtime partner to Challenge Aspen and has been bringing their senior class to Snowmass to learn to ski with our instructors for the past twenty-two years.
Cantrell’s enthusiasm and zeal for life haven’t been eliminated; rather, they have been ignited. He has lofty goals and aspirations for his future and has taken advantage of every opportunity since enrolling in Tennessee School for the Blind; from learning to ski, to playing on his school’s goalball, wrestling, and track teams.
Cantrell lit up when he learned to ski with us last winter. He felt that ecstatic sense of joy that is at the heart of the sport, and you can hear it in his voice in the accompanying video.
Cantrell’s life may have taken an unexpected turn, but he knows that he has his whole life in front of him, and he’s not going to waste it.
Max & Danielle
Danielle and Max are the best of friends. They met through Challenge Aspen when they were very young, and have grown up with and alongside the organization.
Growing up with Challenge Aspen allowed these two to dream big. Danielle was a pioneer in adaptive snowboarding, and somewhere along the way, Max earned the nickname “Big Air Max” for fearlessly tackling ever-bigger features in his mono-ski. Both Danielle and Max have starred in Challenge Aspen’s annual Music & Dance Camp since its inception, and Danielle, in particular, has nurtured a talent and passion for the performance arts over the years.
When this dynamic duo gets together, there’s nothing they can’t do. They recently reminded us how unstoppable they are by teaming up to take the title of “Best Overall Team” at The Limitless Mountain Challenge.
Neither could imagine their lives without skiing and riding with Challenge Aspen in the winter, or Music & Dance Camp in the summer, and neither could imagine a world without the other.
