BELLVILLE — Gayle-Jayne Allyson glided down Mount Mansfield in a neon yellow helmet, ruby red lipstick and Kelly green bi-ski.
She sat, strapped into the seat with her legs forward, and steered with two handheld miniature ski poles called outriggers.
Allyson spent 10 years serving in the U.S. Army and Coast Guard, including during Operation Desert Storm. Her roles ranged from truck driver and mechanic to welder and firefighter.
After she retired, medical complications led her to lose the use of her legs. Eventually, she had to have one leg and hip amputated.
But Allyson said skiing allows her to fully experience the thing she fought for — freedom.
Adaptive sports allow individuals with physical, visual or cognitive abilities to participate in athletics through modifications and specialized equipment.
One organization seeking to increase access is Adaptive Sports Connection, a Powell-based organization serving disabled veterans, adults and children across Ohio.
About 60 athletes participated in ASC’s 27th annual Boundless Hope on the Slopes event earlier this month. The event offered free skiing and snowboarding, as well as lessons, to veterans and their families at Snow Trails in Mansfield.
Allyson said people often underestimate what their peers with disabilities can accomplish.
“We can do stuff,” she said. “I do more than I ever did when I was ambulatory. I’m throwing discus, shot put, javelin. I bowl.
“I’m doing what you guys are doing. I just do it differently,” she said. “That’s the whole thing about adaptive sports — you adapt.”
Doug Wolf, ASC’s president and CEO, said adaptive sports is about more than athletics. It’s about connection.
“It’s about building community and bringing folks together, particularly our veterans,” Wolf said.
Melissa Maley attended the event with her husband Josh, an Air Force veteran who is paralyzed and legally blind.
He went skiing with the help of a friend and volunteer, who went down the hill behind him. Tethers were attached to Maley’s skis, allowing his friend to help steer as necessary.
“It’s incredible to see him back out, doing something, feeling able,” she said. “It means a lot to him to get out of the house and do anything at all …. just to have fun again.”
Volunteers helped lift athletes from wheelchairs, provided coaching and support and skied in tandem with athletes, who utilized equipment like bi-skis, mono skis and ski bikes.
Stephanie Blair took a day off work and drove three hours from her home in West Virginia to volunteer.
“I love giving back. They give as much to us as we give to them,” Blair said.
“I’ve skied with kids before who all their life they’ve been told they can’t do this, they can’t do that and then they come out here and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, I can do this.’”
Adaptive athletes report better physical and mental health, social well being
Several attendees were experienced athletes, some of whom enjoy play multiple sports through ASC and other adaptive sports organizations.
Studies have linked adaptive sports to better physical health, a higher quality of life, a sense of belonging, higher self-esteem and greater life satisfaction.
ASC surveyed its program participants from 2025: 90 percent reported improved overall confidence; 80 percent reported improved physical health; 97 percent reported improvement in mental health and 89 percent reported improved social well-being.
Chris Briggs had a spinal cord injury 10 years ago. He began skiing eight years ago.
“It’s an outlet,” he said. “I don’t even feel disabled when I’m out here. I’m just like everybody else, riding the mountain, dealing with the same conditions.
”It’s pushed me to do things with my disability that I never thought that I’d be able to.”
Common barriers to adaptive sports include a lack of transportation, financial constraints, lack of access to equipment and training, and a lack of awareness about adaptive sports opportunities.
ASC offers programming throughout the year, with financial assistance available through its scholarship program.
Allyson’s advice to other adults with disabilities was to give adaptive sports a try — even if it takes awhile to find a sport they enjoy.
“You’re not going to like everything,” she said. “I’ve tried basketball. I hated it, to be honest. But I’m pretty good at pickleball.”
