Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports

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Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports | STARS

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Steamboat Adaptive Recreational Sports (STARS)

Our mission is to empower and enrich lives through adaptive recreational activities.

Our vision is to provide life changing experiences for its participants.

STARS’ mission is to empower and enrich lives through adaptive recreational activities. STARS was formed in 2007 by a group of parents, ski instructors, and management from Steamboat Ski Corporation to help provide improved winter recreational opportunities for people with disabilities. In 2010, STARS was contracted by Steamboat Ski Corporation to be the exclusive operator of all winter adaptive lessons and programs for the Steamboat Ski area. Since then, STARS has grown to offer year-round programming on and off the mountain.

We believe that adaptive recreation can positively impact the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families. STARS’ programs help individuals discover the outdoors and teach skills to overcome health challenges, as well as develop confidence, self-esteem, and independence. We use skiing, cycling, therapeutic horseback riding, kayaking and many other activities to empower people with disabilities.

These activities help to reduce depression and isolation by increasing physical activity, self-sufficiency, and hope in our participants. We believe that through our programs, we strengthen families and communities while encouraging individuals to become productive and responsible citizens.

Activities

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Alpine/Downhill Skiing

Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis. There are tons of disabled skiers flying down the slopes across the country. Experienced skiers make it look easy as they swoosh and cut their way through powdery (and sometimes not so powdery) snow. While it takes some practice to refine…

Archery is a versatile activity. It is something that can be done for fun, for hunting, or for competition. “Target shooting wasn’t a thing for me,” said US Para Archery Head Coach Jonathan Clemins. “But I realized I enjoyed shooting my bow as much as I enjoyed hunting.” In addition, archery can be a year-round…

In the beginning you had to have a spinal cord injury in order to play wheelchair basketball. But that, much like the game itself, has come a long way since 1946. Today, in order to be eligible to play wheelchair basketball within the NWBA (National Wheelchair Basketball Association) a person must have a permanent lower…

Rain, sleet, snow, or hail … it seems that no matter the weather, you can always see a cyclist biking for pleasure, on an errand, or keeping fit. The love of bike riding is rapidly growing across nearly every demographic. Cycling has always been a great way to enjoy the outdoors, socialize with fellow bikers,…

Horseback riding is naturally therapeutic. Whether they have physical, cognitive, sensory or emotional disabilities, participants benefit from riding or working with horses. Nicole Budden, Founder and Director of Happy Trails Riding Center All About Equestrian Getting Started Equine-assisted therapy, hippotherapy, therapeutic riding…These are all terms that have specific definitions, but they share a common…

Flyfishing made a real big difference in my recovery and helped flip that switch from thinking about negative things to positive things. There is a lot of peace and a lot of connecting with nature involved with fishing. – David Folkerts, Chief Operations Officer of Project Healing Waters Fishing 101 Photo Credits: Matt Romero,…

Take a Hike! Outdoor Adventure Awaits Everyone is concerned with fitness these days. Many people are also concerned with watching their personal budget, too. So what activity offers fun and fitness as well as being easy on the wallet? The answer is hiking, and almost everybody can do it, whether it’s simply utilizing community park…

When you go skiing, you need to find a mountain and cold weather. You don’t need anything special to start kayaking. Kayaking is just down the road. -Joe Mornini, Executive Director of Team River Runner Getting Started Looking to spend a quiet afternoon enjoying the outdoors and scenery? Perhaps you’re more of a thrill…

One of the things I like about rock climbing is that it always gives you little triumphs. You can reach new levels, you are never out of challenges, and you can do it pretty much anywhere. – Jarem Frye, Climbing Enthusiast and K12 Prosthetics founder Becoming Familiar with Adaptive Climbing For a full body…

All About Snowboarding History Thank you to Lindsay Schultz for contributing information to this article. Pipelines, shredding, jibbers, and boardercross are all part of the colorful trappings of what’s attracting winter sports lovers to the country’s newest and most popular pursuit of things-that-go-bump-in-the-snow. Otherwise known as snowboarding….. Originally embraced by preteen and adolescent males who…

Snowshoeing 101 Getting Started It’s time for the fresh, chilly air and peaceful scenery offered by winter sports. If you’re looking for a way to improve balance and spatial awareness, and to get exercise at a level that you can set for yourself, consider adaptive snowshoeing this season. Snowshoeing is the “quiet” snow sport, according…

Since the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, swimming has been one of the Games’ main sports. The thrill of competition aside, swimming offers many benefits including strengthening the cardiovascular systems and the major muscle groups of both the upper and lower body. It also develops flexibility in the muscles and joints as…

Water Skiing 101 Ride the Wake! There is nothing like spending a warm summer day by the water. But water-skiers will tell you that even better is a day spent water skiing along on the surface of the water with the wind in their hair. Don’t think because you have a disability that you can’t…

It is difficult to find balance without the ability to look inward, whether it is physical balance or balance in our daily lives. Starting the day healthfully can be as simple as breathing and stretching. An important component of a total fitness program is stretching. Add focused deep breathing to a stretch and you’ve entered…