By Nick Butler

Young skiers will get opportunities to hone their craft during the week-long camp ©Denver Post/Getty ImagesNovember 29 - Opportunities for disabled skiers from the United States of all levels, from first-timers to Paralympians, will be provided at the 26th Hartford Ski Spectacular event in Colorado.


Hosted by Disabled Sports USA, the week-long event will consist of ski and snowboard training with the aim of boosting performance-levels ahead of competitions later in the Winter season.

More specifically, the event focuses on "strengthening and expanding adaptive snow sports programmes in communities throughout the US" and to help "identify and train youth, wounded warriors, and others with disabilities who strive to be Winter Paralympians."

Sponsorship and grant funding for the event has been provided by Veterans Affairs - in order to "facilitate the growth of Paralympic-sport programming for disabled veterans and disabled members of the Armed Forces." 

Various other local, regional and snow sport related companies have also contributed to an event which helps to raise the profile of the Paralympic sport through the US at a time when increased television coverage for Sochi 2014 is set to further boost this appeal.

The camp will provide opportunities to follow in the path of the US double gold medal winner at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games Alana Nichols ©Getty ImagesThe camp will provide opportunities to follow in the path of the US double gold medal winner at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Games Alana Nichols ©Getty Images


The US won 11 medals, including three gold, in the Alpine skiing events at Vancouver 2010, with Stephani Victor winning the super-combined sitting event in addition to Alana Nicholls' two titles in the downhill and giant slalom sitting disciplines. 

Charlie Huebner, chief of US Paralympics, noted how mass-participation events are integral in contributing to this success when he described how the organisation are "proud to support the Hartford Ski Spectacular." 

"Many of the athletes skiing and snowboarding at this event will be representing the US at the Paralympic Winter Games in March in Sochi," he added.

Similar sentiments were expressed by Kirk Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sport USA, when he described how "we are very proud to be a partner of U.S. Paralympics."

"Paralympic athletes are not only training at the Hartford Ski Spectacular, but they are also coaching and mentoring wounded warriors and youth who are coming to the event to improve their skills," he said.

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