43 blind and low-vision skiers are registered for January event, with 31 sighted guides signed up so far<\/p>\n
CANMORE \u2014 Ski for Light Canada is looking for more sighted volunteer guides as it prepares to bring dozens of blind and low-vision cross-country skiers to Canmore\u2019s frozen trails this winter.<\/p>\n
As of Tuesday (Oct. 6), 43 blind and low-vision skiers and 31 sighted guides were registered for the non-profit organization\u2019s January event at the Canmore Nordic Centre, with capacity for up to 55 of each.<\/p>\n
Recruiting new guides is an ongoing part of keeping the volunteer-based program going as people\u2019s circumstances change and longtime guides get older.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need sustainability of this program, and that\u2019s why we have to really gain the enthusiasm of younger adults,\u201d said Ruth Kohut, a Ski for Light Canada guide and lead organizer of the Stomp & Glide fundraiser.<\/p>\n
But becoming a guide doesn\u2019t require being an expert on cross-country skis.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou don\u2019t have to be a really good cross-country skier to be a guide,\u201d Kohut said. \u201cYou have to be able to enjoy a beautiful relationship that is built with trust.\u201d<\/p>\n
At the heart of Ski for Light is a one-skier, one-guide model, pairing blind and low-vision adults with trained sighted volunteers on the trails.<\/p>\n
Peter Quaiattini, president of Ski for Light Canada, is blind and registered to ski at the January event. He said classic cross-country skiing offers him a level of independence he doesn\u2019t experience in the same way while downhill skiing.<\/p>\n
Once his skis are in the tracks, Quaiattini says he can largely move along the trail independently, with his guide helping when the tracks end or conditions change.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very, very liberating experience to be able to move through the trails over the snow. At my own speed, at my own pace,”\u00a0he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe guides, they just really facilitate that in a very safe and freeing kind of way. It\u2019s a great, great experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kohut says the guide\u2019s role is about creating the right conditions for that independence.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur job as guides is to create a partnership,\u201d she said. \u201cWe create a partnership that makes cross-country skiing accessible and supports this sense of joy and freedom and independence.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guides are trained to communicate what\u2019s happening on the trail, including approaching hills and turns, where tracks end and when a skier may need to stop.<\/p>\n
But Kohut said the relationship also goes beyond navigating the snow.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s also about social inclusion,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Ski for Light is entering its 49th year, with its 2025 event marking the first time it was held at the Canmore Nordic Centre.<\/p>\n
The organization will return to Canmore for the 2027 Ski for Light Canada Signature Event from Jan. 24-30\u00a0at the Canmore Nordic Centre.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe like Canmore because the nordic centre is beautifully set up for all levels of skiers, and we have all levels of skiers,\u201d said Kohut.<\/p>\n
Participants range from people stepping onto cross-country skis for the first time to experienced skiers capable of taking on longer distances.<\/p>\n
For the upcoming event, Quaiattini said nordic centre staff are working with Ski for Light to develop a tactile map of the facility, using raised identifiers to allow blind and low-vision participants to better understand its layout.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really, really excited about that,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Quaiattini says support extends throughout the Bow Valley, with several local board members and volunteer guides.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe volunteer community in Canmore is extraordinarily supportive of us,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the January event, Ski for Light is looking to raise money through its Stomp & Glide fundraiser at The Blues Can in Calgary on Oct. 15 and has set a target of $40,000.<\/p>\n
Registration fees cover approximately 40 to 50 per cent of the cost of running the week-long event, Quaiattini said, leaving the organization to raise the remaining 50 to 60 per cent.<\/p>\n
Ski for Light also offers financial assistance to participants who cannot afford the registration fee.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don’t want someone’s financial situation to be an obstacle to participation,\u201d said Quaiattini.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"43 blind and low-vision skiers are registered for January event, with 31 sighted guides signed up so far…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":928513,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[49,48,44],"class_list":["post-928512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-canada","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=928512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/928512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/928513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=928512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=928512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=928512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}