Last week I went to Aspen, Colorado for some Alpine skiing. I said, "If not now, when?" What really happened was a homecoming through meeting a big family of kindred spirits. The catalyst for going was the Annual Meeting of the Cross Country Ski Areas of America, the North American association of cross country ski professionals. Despite belonging to this group for many years I had never attended a meeting. They welcomed me with open arms.

It turned out the big news was not that I went to Aspen but that the National Disabled Veterans were there for their Winter Sports Clinic. I met them first at Ashcroft, the beatiful Nortic ski center in the Aspen Highlands. This is the place where Sergeant Preston of the Canadian Mounties with his dog King and team were filmed in the 50ties. There on the trails I met many brave athletes in their special equipment. They encouraged me (the oldest one there) and I called out "On King, On King Go you Huskies." (It seems that in College a member of my government class named Preston used to call that out loudly when the professor was wildly enthusiastic about his subject and would go too fast for note taking. )

During this yearly national event the athletes' activities include horseback riding, snowmobiling, nordic and alpine skiing, sled hockey, hand-cycling, wall climbing, scuba diving and trap and skeet shooting.

I met three bubbly nurses who were helping out with the group and skiing. On the flight out of Aspen I shared the plane with a large number of the Handicapped. There was so much enthusiasm and love expressed among the helpers and the athletes. Everything moved so easily. My seat mate was a charming eleven year old girl who got the week off from school to come with her Dad, a coach, and exercise the guide dogs.

This leads me to the highlight which was meeting 2002 Olympian , Matt Dayton and his parents, Teresa and Gene, owners of Breckenridge Nordic Center. Matt spoke from the heart about training for the Olympics, his recovery from a November accident, his love for skiing and ended with the words, I just wanted to give you some inspiration. I was inspired!! I got to shake his hand and share a few words. With his ball cap and shy yet friendly manner he was like the ideal boy next door and his passion for skiing shone through. Later I met his Mom and Dad and again was in awe of the lives of service they have led. They met when Dad was fitting skiis for disabled athletes at his Nordic Ski Center and Mom was wheeling in an athlete she had been assigned to meet at the airport..

Matt showed a video of himself skiing around Breckenridge. It was pure dance, and joy, poetry and music. Seeing that video conveyed threal idea of Nordic skiing.. I have watched the pros at Crystal Lake skiing in skate mode around and around the lake soaring as they warm up and then disappearing into the woods, a joy to behold, but this was an Olympian at his best.

My thought was filled with the desire to do what we can do here at Crystal Lake to share with young people the skill and joy of skiing. At one of the educational sessions at the Convention we talked about the Surgeon General's Report on obesity in the schools. We discussed means of getting kids away from screens, computer and TV, and giving them lifetimre skills to inspire them to be active and achieve.

Actually, the local Special Olympics Nordic skiers have been welcomed at Crystal Lake for daily training and occasional lessons. In 2001 they went to the Special Olympics World Games in Alaska and presented us with a plaque showing them wearing their medals. Erin Erdman won 2 gold medals, 1 silver and 1 4th place ribbon..Roger Turner won 1 Silver, 1 Bronze and a 5th place ribbon. This spring Roger, Erin, Deb Wall, Andy Fischer and Steve Huyck placed well with gold and silver medals.

It was such a joy to me to be with skiers and realize that we were all famiy through our devotion to sharing this sport and helping others. This is inspiration to realize that we are all one big family in the world. In the words of a favorite camp song, "Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me."