Cecelia Black succeeds on snow and in life                                              

Speech before the Outdoors for All Snowball and White-Out Gala Auction on November 8, 2007

I am a freshman a George Washington University.  A few years ago I was a confident teenager who loved school and ballet.  I never had a hard time making plans for the weekend.

I was in a car accident 2 and a half years ago when my family’s car was hit head on by a speeding driver.  I was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center with internal injuries and later I found out I had a spinal cord injury as well.  I am now paralyzed from the chest down with full use of my arms, but very limited use of my hands.  I spent 5 months in the hospital and have undergone 5 surgeries since my accident.   During my 5-month hospital stay I was surrounded by positive people.  I loved my therapists and nurses.  My friends were amazing and visited throughout my hospitalization.  And I took for granted that everything was handicap accessible.  So it was easy for me to remain upbeat.  I was working so hard to be independent that I assumed my life would return to back to normal on the day I got to leave the hospital. 

But when I returned home the summer before my junior year my life wasn’t normal. The real world was a shock. I had been absent for an entire semester and it was impossible to jump in where I left off. That summer most of my friends disappeared as well. Living was far more exhausting than I ever anticipated.  I was far from being independent.  In addition to needing help doing everyday living tasks, I had to now plan out everything before I did any thing. In order to go somewhere I have to find out how many stairs there might be, how wide the doorways are, who could carry me up or down any stairs, and if there is a car I can get into that fits my wheelchair.  All of this preparation often out weighed the benefits of one night out.  Most of my friends’ houses involved going up or down stairs and it wasn’t comfortable being carried, although I have gotten a lot better.  All of this planning scared away many of my friends as well.  They often were nervous and uncomfortable taking me out.  I found myself surrounded by friends Monday through Friday from 7 to 2.   I couldn’t be care free like most teenagers and was incredibly inconvenient to invite along. Often it was easier for me to sit at home than be out with my friends.

I skied with Outdoors for All for the first time last winter.  It was wonderful to have someone else figure out the logistics for me.  All that I had to do was show up while someone else figured out what equipment I would use, where I should park, where the elevator was and who would help me.

I had two wonderful volunteers who were ready every Sunday to take me up ad down the mountain. The first thing my instructor, Chris, said was not to worry he was like the emergency brake.  I think at times he regretted saying that because I felt completely comfortable ploughing straight down the runs.  I was, however, given specific instructors to go slow and not to fall in front of Ed.  My instructors even put up with me telling my mom slight exaggerations like they took me through the terrain park and off 10 ft jumps (only kidding about the 10 ft jumps!).

It was an amazing feeling to be able to speed down a run again.  It was an even better feeling when I was able to pass a few people even if it was a blue run. On my 5^th o 6^th lesson we tried new run.  The conditions were perfect and the mountain wasn’t too crowded.  It seemed as if everything came together.  My turns were smooth.   I was going fast but not out of control.  I felt graceful, a feeling that I used to get on the dance floor.  It was as if my body finally caught up to me.

Outdoors for All gave me plans for the weekend.  They gave me a day each week were I wasn’t bound to a wheel chair. Also the more my friends saw me living a normal life the more they were comfortable taking me to wherever they were going.

I know that I am not the only who has had such wonderful experience with Outdoors for All.  Sitting in the lodge and getting ready to ski I was surrounded by people with all types of disabilities excited to get out on the mountain. It was evident how many lives this organization has touched. Every employee and volunteer who make up Outdoors for All do an amazing job giving people with disabilities a chance to finally participate instead of quietly watching from a corner.  Thank you so much for supporting Outdoors for All.  This is such an important organization to me and I know it is for others as well.