Joann Spencer: Staying Active at Home with Cole

Cole Spencer started participating in Wasatch Adaptive Sports (WAS) activities when he was 3 years old. Which at first, my husband and I were a little skeptical. We weren’t sure if he was going to be able to do much because of his age. Boy, were we wrong! He fell in love with skiing. He would always try to get his instructor to go faster or to go off jumps. It was amazing to see his growth mentally, physically, and socially. Over the last 3 years, Cole has made so many amazing friends. That is one of our favorite things about WAS. Cole is able to interact with kids that are physically like him, but also adults that are too. To have their example and positive influence in his life as he is growing up and developing is priceless. It really has been a blessing to our whole family. WAS is so good to not only help Cole be active, but they invite our whole family to join in the fun too. There are so many fun activities that are available to participate in: snow skiing, bike riding, kayaking, hiking, and more.

With being quarantined the last few months, those activities haven’t been an option. We are grateful that WAS has made adjustments to help keep Cole and his friends involved in fun physical activities. He looks forward to his weekly workouts with Steve Young and his friends via Zoom. (Cole would want you to all know that he is the reigning “push up” champ. ? ) I can’t tell you how grateful our family is to everyone that donates their time and energy to making WAS what it is. We love being a part of this amazing organization!

Due to the circumstances surrounding the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), WAS’s annual event, the Steve Young Ski Classic, was held online. As part of this event, WAS students race in a friendly competition against professional athletes in a downhill ski race. This year, instead of the race, professional athletes have joined with pro football hall of fame quarterback Steve Young to lead fun workouts for WAS students from the safety of their homes through the online platform Zoom.