Founded by skiing enthusiast and Georgia personal injury attorney Jeffrey S. Gilbert of teamjsglaw.com, the Alpine Adaptive Ski Program (AASP) was established to give people with spinal cord injuries the opportunity to participate in the exhilarating and accessible sport of monoskiing.
Unlike similar programs that accept a large number of participants for primarily recreational purposes, AASP takes the more selective approach of helping highly motivated individuals who are looking for a lifelong sport they are able to fully participate in and enjoy. Most of our participants have through exposure or imagination an inner desire for the freedom and exhilaration that accompanies an independent ski run!
We are looking for future ski addicts.
Personal injury attorney Jeff Gilbert absolutely loves skiing. He’s also made a career out of helping catastrophically injured people get the resources they need to lead fuller lives. As a result, it was only natural that he married the two concepts and started Alpine Adaptive Scholarship Program. There are few things he enjoys more in life than seeing the sense of accomplishment exhibited by all skiers, especially beginners, after a day of conquering the slopes.
Utilizing the knowledge established by our collaborator, Shepherd Center’s Beyond Therapy Program, that already runs an annual recreational ski trip, Jeffrey S. Gilbert has developed AASP to give participants the support needed to go the extra step and develop a true lifelong sport. However, AASP’s program is open to patients from all Rehabilitation centers, including Emory Hospitals’ Center for Rehabilitation Medicine (CRM) and any other rehabilitation facilities including VA hospitals and rehabilitation centers. In fact, being a patient at any such facility is not a prerequisite to participation. Wounded Warriors are of course also welcome.
Jeff and his son Kyle, also an officer in AASP, have also refurbished and donated a monoski to the Beyond Therapy Department for AASP’s recipients use as well as the Beyond Therapy’s regular members and participants. The purpose of this monoski is to give potential skiers an opportunity to sit in a monoski and experience what it feels like, and maybe even imagine flying down the slope.
It is a beneficial tool, as it takes time to acclimate to the unique equipment utilized in the sport of downhill skiing. This is true for more than just monoskiers, who hasn’t watched someone who was totally preoccupied with the fit of a new pair of goggles? This distraction is only magnified with a foreign and complex piece of equipment like the monoski.
In addition, Shepherd Center’s therapists hope that by studying the physical requirements of the ski, they will be able to develop sport and athlete specific training routines that will better prepare skiers and therefore make their time on the mountain more productive. It also turns out to be some pretty motivating “eye candy” for both donors and patients.