Inspiration in unexpected places...

Last week Bromley Mountain in Vermont got 23 inches of powder - in March! That is one heck of a spring dumping. We skied our tails off this weekend. The minis were total troopers and we finished the season on a great note. Skiing is by far one of my favorite activities, and it's a great sport to do as a family.

My Ski Team

Hitting the slopes means exercise with a little added rush. It doesn't get more beautiful than the view from the top.

Stargazer on Bromley Mountain

This weekend the snow was incredible and the sun was shining. There we were waiting in line at the quad - enter inspiration. I've noticed Bart's Team skiing the mountain before, but I just hadn't taken that extra step to understand what they were really doing. Bart's Team wears red jackets and many of their skiers use special adaptive equipment to get down the mountain. 

The Mission Statement

One of Bart's Superstar Skiers 

Learn more HERE

The Bart J. Ruggiere Adaptive Sports Center has two full time employees and is otherwise manned by volunteers. These volunteers ski with children and adults with a variety of disabilities ranging from paralysis to autism. They are complete professionals and the level of confidence they instill in their athletes and the families of those they serve is phenomenal.

A little bit of history - Bart was a young man who died in the 9-11 attacks. Bart loved to ski at Bromley. After he died his family and friends formed a foundation in Bart’s name to help support people with special needs through an adaptive sports program. They wanted to honor Bart with a program that was built on his philosophies of “never giving up” and “no limits”. The group's mission is to provide people with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy sports (year round) and makes it possible for families to ski and enjoy the outdoors together. They are awesome.

I can't help but imagine just how cool it must feel to hit the slopes and cruise - free from any restraints - when people or programs in your past have told you you can't. I say "Ski on!" Bart's Team. We over here at The Sentimentalist will be watching and supporting in the years to come.

Finding inspiration on Bromley Mountain made me realize why I like writing this blog so much. As I search for blog topics I am walking through life more consciously. I find inspiration everywhere I go. The things I see, touch, taste, and experience have all become opportunities to learn something new that I can then share with you all. It's making me wiser and more thoughtful - I hope it's doing the same for you too.