Challenged Athletes Foundation: Helping everyone enjoy Idaho’s outdoors
Caption for Jaxon Skiing: Jaxon Palmer of Twin Falls, age 4 in this photo, was able to ski on his own while attending a sports clinic put on by the Idaho Chapter of the Challenged Athletes Foundation. (Courtesy photo)
By Gaye Bunderson
While sports activities may be great exercise and loads of fun, they can also cost a bundle when equipment fees and participation expenses are added in. Now, imagine a family that has a child with special needs. Medical and other expenses incurred for the child’s care put a financial strain on the family budget and don’t leave much left for sports and recreation. But there’s an organization that steps up to pitch in with the costs that come with sports. It’s called Challenged Athletes Foundation.
Jennifer Skeesick, Idaho Regional Director of CAF, said of the high cost of sports involvement: “We help so there is no financial barrier to the athletes.”
Challenged Athletes is a national foundation with a more than 25-year history, but the Idaho chapter is fairly new, having launched in May 2019. “The J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation reached out to us a couple of years ago with a strong interest in having an established adaptive sports community in Idaho,” Skeesick explained. “They were motivated by Idaho’s great outdoor opportunities, and they gave us a generous grant to start and continue with CAF-Idaho.”
A former physical therapist who has always been around the adaptive community, Skeesick went straight from that job and right into leading CAF-Idaho. “I left health care and leapt into CAF,” she said.
Individual athletes – or their families if they’re underage – apply for grants from CAF-Idaho; and with the grant money, they have access to equipment, coaching, travel expenses to competitions, access to sports clinics, and participation in a mentoring program.
The chapter distributed 111 grants – totaling $231,538 – to adaptive athletes in the Gem State since May of 2019, according to an article published March 27, 2020 at www.BigCountryNewsConnection.com.*
CAF-Idaho is keen on open-air activities. “We support indoor sports as well,” Skeesick said, “but we’re especially big on the outdoors, sports like snow skiing, mountain biking, and hiking.”
There are currently 600 athletes in CAF-Idaho; the youngest is 3 and the oldest is 94. A veteran, the nonagenarian was formerly a trail runner and now hikes. On the other hand, the 3-year-old’s family is allowing him to explore and see what interests him most in the world of sports – and that’s one of the benefits of CAF-Idaho. It helps with clinics and other programs so the adaptive athlete has time to find what he or she is most interested in.
“The 3-year-old is being exposed to all the options,” Skeesick said.
Sarah Palmer of Twin Falls is the mother of adaptive athlete Jaxon, age 5. The child was born with spina bifida and, as a result, also has a bilateral clubfoot. “For a long time, my husband and I were trying to figure out how Jaxon could have opportunities in sports. He’s always been active and wants to try things out.”
The Palmers attended the Idaho Spina Bifida Fall Carnival held on Halloween last October at the St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital Specialty Center in Boise. CAF-Idaho had a vendor booth there and Sarah spoke personally with Jennifer Skeesick.
“It was exciting,” Palmer said. She had finally found a way for Jaxon to experience the thrill of sports. She answered a few questions and filled out a short survey, and before long, the family was on its way to Tamarack Resort for a CAF-Idaho sports clinic. In January, Jaxon tried Nordic skiing. At a later clinic, held in March, he attempted two new activities: sledge hockey, a form of adaptive ice hockey, and wheelchair curling.
“The best part of the Tamarack experience,” said his mom, “was seeing how much joy Jaxon had while skiing. He was 4 at the time but he was able to ski and interact with others who were new, but also with the professional athletes. He’s always had the mindset of trying things out. But actually seeing it and seeing people like him doing it, he now knows he’s capable. He’s able to experience it.”
The interactive part of the clinics also benefited Jaxon. “He’s very social, so he talks with everyone, plays with them, and wants to race with them,” Palmer said. “Everyone cheers each other on. They’re rooting for each other.”
Palmer encourages other parents of adaptive children to explore CAF-Idaho. “Get involved. Don’t worry if your child is too young or it’s something they can’t do. Everyone is working together. There’s a lot of camaraderie.”
Her husband, Niels, agrees. “CAF-Idaho is adapting the sport, trying hard to make it work for everyone involved,” he said.
The Palmers said they didn’t know if Jaxon could handle the sports he tried – but he did.
The pandemic has affected the program a bit this year, but there have been Zoom calls and emails providing updates on plans for this fall and winter. “They want everyone to stay active, even if we can’t meet together yet,” Sarah Palmer said.
The CAF-Idaho program is comprised of many volunteers who themselves are challenged athletes. Also, CAF-Idaho teams with community partners such as BASE (Boise Adaptive Snowsport Education), parks and recreation departments, Higher Ground (highergroundusa.org), and Teton Adaptive (tetonadaptivesports.com). “There is a mutual support group of athletes,” said Skeesick.
Taylor Walker, a spokesperson for CAF, said, “We empower individuals with permanent physical challenges, with the goal of ensuring every Idahoan – no matter their ability – can access the mountains, lakes, trails and rivers we have throughout the state.”
All ages are welcome. For more information on the Idaho Chapter of the Challenged Athletes Foundation or to apply for a grant, visit https://www.challengedathletes.org/idaho.
* (The full article is available at https://www.bigcountrynewsconnection.com/idaho/idaho-chapter-of-challenged-athletes-foundation-distributes-111-grants-totaling-over-231-500-to-idaho/article_795901ca-7064-11ea-bb09-b3b0d2868626.html)