Draper woman with MS finds freedom on the slopes thanks to local nonprofit
Originally Published: 19 JAN 26 13:53 ET
By Amy Nay
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SNOWBIRD, Utah (KSTU) -- A Draper woman living with multiple sclerosis has reached new heights thanks to a local group.
“It is a great feeling. I mean, it just wipes out the whole feeling you have about yourself as being somebody who can’t do anything,” said Maggi Welliver, 75, after skiing for the first time with the help of Wasatch Adaptive Sports.
“When I first started with them," Welliver said, "I started cycling, and then when winter came, my instructor, who I trust with my life, said we need to go skiing, but I said, 'Uh, I’ve never been a big skier.'”
Her trust in the instructors and what she calls her new family she found at the nonprofit gave her the confidence to try and to discover a sense of freedom she hadn’t felt in years.
“I’ve been in a wheelchair for ... over 20 years, and what I have is chronic progressive multiple sclerosis," Welliver said. "So slowly I’ve been getting to this position in my life. And it’s OK, it’s OK,” she said, describing a gradual decline since her diagnosis three decades ago.
Wasatch Adaptive Sports connects people with physical disabilities to adaptive outdoor programs. They were able to expand offerings this season after a $100,000 donation match from Utah outdoor brand KUHL helped the nonprofit reach a $500,000 fundraising goal. That support, Welliver said, made experiences like skiing at Snowbird and reaching the top of Hidden Peak possible for people who might otherwise never try. It was Welliver's daughter who encouraged her to look into ‘WAS’ and what they offered.
“What made it really special is I was able to ski with my daughter, and she just cried and said never in her wildest dreams thought she’d be on the slope with me, so now I want to ski with everybody,” Welliver said.
On the slopes, she said she doesn’t feel defined by her disability.
“I don’t feel disabled. I feel able to do most anything I want to do. It’s just different,” she said, adding that adaptive skiing has changed her perspective.
“It just really opens you up to feel good about yourself,” she said. When asked why that matters, Welliver replied, “It’s pretty important because it’s easy to fall into ‘poor me’ and give up.”
She urged others in similar situations to take the first step.
“It doesn’t cost you anything. You just have to step out and take advantage of it,” she said. “Just try it. I mean, it’s scary, but you can do it.”
Her advice for anyone starting is simple: “Start slow and just keep building on that. You can do it, and it’s all about accommodations and that’s life. It’s just what you do in life.”
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