After growing bored of the monotony of only working out at the gym, US Navy Veteran Darold Williams was exposed to the world of adaptive sports. Thanks to the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) and Veteran’s Affairs (VA), Williams began to enjoy more sports than he ever could have imagined. Sports like canoeing, row bikes, indoor cycling, archery, and many others. After Williams hooked up with Ignite through our partnership with the VA, he began his Winter Sports endeavors. Nordic skiing with Ignite Instructor Sharon, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and now the ski bike.
When asked how these activities affect his life, Williams said “Oh man, it’s just a mood enhancer. I’m always looking forward to coming up here. I woke up early to make sure I didn’t miss the shuttle. It gives me something to look forward to that I haven’t been doing on a regular basis.”
Williams enjoys taking advantage of the carpool system Ignite has setup with our Veterans Shuttle. “Yes, it [taking the shuttle] was awesome! They had some very good music, old school, easy listening.” In the 2019-2020 Season, we find Williams enjoying the new SB-100 All-Mountain SkiByk. Anyone lucky enough to find themselves at a ski area on a weekday may see Williams somewhere on the hill enjoying the best of what Ignite and Eldora have to offer. And to see his wonderful grin is all the thanks we need.