Rochelle Erskine: WAS Lead Instructor

Hello! We may have met already and if we haven’t, I look forward to it! My name is Rochelle and I am proud to represent Wasatch Adaptive Sports as our lead instructor.

I am a Washington state local who has been swept away by the beauty of Utah, recreation therapy, and adaptive sports. After teaching alpine skiing in Washington State for three years, I decided it was time for a change. The community of Brighton’s ski school drew me in to the great Wasatch Range winter of 2018. I was lucky to find WAS and the adaptive community the following winter!

Working with individuals of all kinds of movement backgrounds and abilities opened my eyes to the reality of accessibility and recreation in the outdoors. To be the facilitator of recreation and fun to those who otherwise could not access or are met with substantial barriers of participation is one of my biggest pleasures. My goal as an instructor in the winter was to push my students past their own expectations of what they believed they could achieve – to erase the boundary line and open a new perspective on what is achievable. Observing growth in skill and mindset is unbelievably awesome.

Transitioning from winter to summer sports in a new position where I could observe from a wider lens offered a global outlook of what WAS’s mission is really achieving.  Meeting family members, learning more about each individual participant, working with instructors, and knowing the great variety of backgrounds showing up every day have widened my eyes for the appreciation and impact a nonprofit can have on an entire community. From WAS’s involvement with trail committees around the county to fundraising events to those who donate to assist WAS’s mission of affordability and accessibility to all of the invaluable instructors and volunteers – there is a vast amount of effort put forth that makes a real difference in the lives of WAS’s participants and families.

I enjoy working with the WAS team, making the magic happen behind the scenes, but nothing is better than riding or skiing with a WAS athlete! I’m inspired every day by our oldest and youngest participants alike. From dumping spring water over our heads, biking through playground obstacles, making cupcakes out of snow, searching for dragons, or breaking personal records – I love WAS athletes! Come ride with us and you’ll be sure to brighten your day, learn something new, and walk away with a full glass.

I’ve truly never met such a collectively positive and uplifting community in my life!