John Casolo: Thirty Wonderful Years

This program didn’t only teach me how to ski, but it built my confidence level to a degree that I could not imagine. It also built my character plus it introduced me to hundreds and hundreds of wonderful new friends.

For those of you that don’t know me, my name is John Casolo. I am eighty five years old and I am totally blind. This March will be my thirtieth year skiing with the Adaptive Skiing Program.

Let’s go back in time. On November 23, 1987, after completing my training and receiving my first guide dog, a beautiful black Labrador named Presto, I returned home. During the next month of December I had heard that there was a ski program at Snowbird that could teach blind people how to ski. I figured if others could do it, so could I. The next step was to call Snowbird and speak with Peter Mandler, the program’s director.  He assured me that there were qualified instructors that would be able to teach me how to ski.

On Sunday, March 6, 1988, my guide dog Presto and I boarded a plane to SLC. From there we took a shuttle bus up to Snowbird. Monday morning, the very next day, I found myself at the top of the beginner’s slope, Chickadee. Picture this, if you will. I’m in a snowplow position on a practically flat surface and my instructor is in front of me in a backward snowplow. My hands with ski poles are in an X configuration. My instructor is saying “John! Put your hands down, your not going to hit anything, I’m in front of you.”  I said to him, “But you don’t know what it feels like back here!” Little did I know at that time he had to ski blindfolded as part of his training.

A few seasons later, I had graduated to the blue intermediate runs. Some years after that I was able to ski several of the black diamond runs. This program didn’t only teach me how to ski, but it built my confidence level to a degree that I could not imagine. It also built my character plus it introduced me to hundreds and hundreds of wonderful new friends.

At the end of my third year I said to Peter that I won’t be back next year. He asked me, “Why not?” I told him that I used up the little bit of money I had received from the sale of my house and that my only income was social security. He told me about the scholarship program and if I were approved the program would pay for my instructor and my lift tickets. We then filled out the application and Peter called to let me know that I had been approved. For the past twenty-six years I have been able to ski because of this wonderful program. I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without the scholarship program. I can only hope and pray that this program will continue to flourish for a long long time after I’m gone.

Forever grateful,

John A. Casolo

Please consider supporting students like John through Wasatch Adaptive Sports’ 40 for 40 campaign!