‘A wonderful feeling’: Sacramento ophthalmologist, nonprofit partner to bring blind skiers to the mountains
By Lee Anne Denyer
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ALPINE MEADOWS, California (KCRA) — The fourth annual Blind Ski Day is in the books.
Dr. Christain Serdahl, a Sacramento-based ophthalmologist, is one of the driving forces behind the ski trip. He partners with volunteers and the team at Society for the Blind, a Sacramento nonprofit that supports people with vision loss, for the day in the mountains.
“People learn remarkably quickly, even with severe degrees of blindness, how to get down the mountain with proper instruction,” he said.
A skier himself, Serdahl said he’s sharing his passion for skiing with others, remarking how courageous he finds the participants for being open to learning to ski despite their level of vision.
“You’re skiing down the mountain on skis,” he said. “It’s a wonderful feeling of freedom and it’s quiet and peaceful.”
Skiers are partnered with ski guides who use poles to assist the skiers with their movements. As the skiers gain comfort, Serdahl said, the guides can give the skiers more freedom while still staying together.
Samantha Adams, who is blind, has participated in the program for the last two years. She grew up in Canada, she shared Tuesday, but found when she moved to California more than a decade ago it felt nearly impossible to get back to the sport she loved.
Adams said the transportation alone to the mountain that Serdahl arranges is a gift.
She said skiing coalesces control, movement, independence, and a love of the outdoors.
That is only possible with trust in a guide.
“I’ve got somebody keeping me safe,” she said. “There’s a relationship there. There’s trust, but I’m moving myself. I’ve got control.”
The Society for the Blind offers support and resources for people who are visually impaired, including training for those looking to improve life skills or enter (or re-enter) the workforce.
“I want people to know blindness is not something to be afraid of. It’s just another perspective and another way of living,” Adams said.
Plans are already underway for 2024’s Blind Ski Day.
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