Discovering the Magic

Image courtesy of Jothy Rosenberg.

“I had to know if it was possible,” says Jothy Rosenberg, explaining the reason he went snow skiing just two months after losing his right leg to bone cancer when he was 16.

“I would turn, fall, get up, turn, and fall again and again,” he says. “My parents were freaking out. They assumed that the day was a disaster, but I was hopeful and saw it as something I simply had to work really hard at.”

Even with the difficulties he experienced, Rosenberg realized that he was able to do much more than he—and others—thought he could.

“After a while, I got really good at [skiing], and that was the most important part of my recovery,” says Rosenberg, who is now 59. “I truly believe that sports are a magic thing for many people to use to regain their equilibrium after some sort of setback…. The magic comes from the satisfaction we gain from getting good at something. And once we get good at it, our self-confidence starts to rise and with it our self-esteem. If we can regain our self-esteem doing a sport, it’s back, and it’s with us for everything else we do.”

Jothy Rosenberg is the founder of the Who Says I Can’t Foundation, a nonprofit organization that helps amputees regain their self-esteem through sports. For more information, visit www.whosaysicant.org.


Don’t Let the Ice and Snow Freeze You Out of Sports

Are you letting winter stop you from participating in outdoor activities? If so, you could be missing out on many opportunities for competing, socializing, and having fun. For people who want to try skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, hockey, and mountain climbing, the ice and snow are ideal ingredients for a great time.

If you’re interested in getting started, the following resources may be helpful.

  • Adaptive Action Sports
    adacs.org
  • Adaptive Adventures
    adaptiveadventures.org
  • Adaptive Athletic Specialists
    teamaas.org
  • Adaptive Sports Association
    asadurango.org
  • Adaptive Sports Center
    adaptivesports.org
  • Adventures Without Limits
    awloutdoors.com
  • Alberta Amputee Sports and Recreation Association
    aasra.ab.ca
  • American SkiBike Association
    americanskibike.org
    ski-bike.org
  • Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center
    boec.org
  • Challenge Aspen
    challengeaspen.org
  • Challenged Athletes Foundation
    challengedathletes.org
  • Disabled Sports USA
    disabledsportsusa.org
  • iSkibike
    iskibike.com
  • Jackson Hole Adaptive Ski Program
    jacksonhole.com/lessons-guides/adaptive.html
  • King Pine Ski Resort
    kingpine.com
  • Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation
    maineadaptive.org
  • National Ability Center
    discovernac.org
  • National Sports Center for the Disabled
    nscd.org
  • New England Disabled Sports Program
    loonmtn.com/info/winter/adaptive.aspx
  • No Barriers USA
    nobarriersusa.org
  • Paradox Sports
    paradoxsports.org
  • Paralympic Movement
    paralympic.org
  • ParaSport Ontario
    parasportontario.ca
  • P.L.A.Y. Foundation
    playfoundation.net
  • Snowmass Village
    snowmassvillage.com
  • Snowshoe Adaptive Sports Program
    http://tinyurl.com/q9xv9yd
  • SPLORE
    splore.org
  • Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports
    steamboatstars.com
  • Steamboat Powdercats
    steamboatpowdercats.com/adaptive-skiing-program
  • Stowe Mountain Resort
    stowe.com/ski-ride/adaptive
  • Telluride Adaptive Sports Program
    tellurideadaptivesports.org  
  • USA Hockey
    usahockey.com
  • U.S. Electric Wheelchair Hockey Association
    powerhockey.com
  • U.S. Ski Team
    usskiteam.com
  • Vail Adaptive Ski School
    http://tinyurl.com/pvj7eaf
  • Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports
    vermontadaptive.org
  • Waterville Valley Adaptive Snowsports Program
    waterville.com/ski-ride/adaptive-sports-program.html
  • Who Says I Can’t Foundation
    whosaysicant.org
  • Wintergreen Adaptive Sports
    wintergreenadaptivesports.org
  • World T.E.A.M. Sports
    worldteamsports.org
Next Post
Amplitude