THE VANGUARD’S WEEKLY ATHLETICS COLUMN: Access: granted

Unfortunately, it’s been a little while since I last wrote about Adaptive Rec. In that time, we’ve missed some good stuff. Fear not, though—I’ll make sure we all get brought up to speed on recent events gone by, as well as upcoming events and classes that are being offered this term.

The big piece of news that I missed was a skiing trip put on by Adaptive Rec that took place on March 12. Individuals who might not normally be able to ski were finally able to tackle the slopes of Mt. Hood, thanks to equipment and staff assistance provided by Adaptive Rec and Mt. Hood Meadows’ own adaptive ski program. Portland State’s Adaptive Rec coordinator, Jen Armbruster, provided me with her own of the trip.

“Everyone bundled up in their warm and cozy Columbia jackets, put on their ski gloves and donned their goggles.  The snow was coming down that morning so conditions were awesome. Throughout the day, we enjoyed watching the participants take their first few attempts, closely monitored by their instructors. By the end of the lesson and day, the participants were tackling the mountain by themselves.  All of the participants, though tired and worn out, were smiling at the end of the day and telling everyone they would be back,” she said.

Not one to pass up a good time or a challenge, Armbruster had to get a taste of the action for herself.

“On a personal note, the trip was not about me, but I did get a couple of runs in towards the end of the day.  I’m a blind skier myself and was not supposed to head out onto the snow, but once I observed everyone having a blast on the snow I couldn’t resist. I had packed my blind ski vest and my blind skier guide vest and said what the heck and went for a couple of runs. The feeling of heading down the mountain is totally freeing. We had a fairly wide open run so I could take off and do my own turns on the fall line and didn’t need to be picked up verbally by my guide again until we were toward the bottom and we hit more traffic. I personally can’t wait to hit the water in May. Being new to the Portland area, I have now gotten to experience your mountains out this way.”

Jen tells me that the trip was a big success for Adaptive Rec by all accounts, and that they are eager to take on their next trip on May 15: sea kayaking. This is a chance for paddlers of all abilities to have a chance to enjoy the sport. This specific trip, however, is for individuals that have a disability and need modifications for the trip.  Any level of disability or injury can be accommodated. The cost is $35 for Campus Rec members and $70 for non-members. Participants should bring a lunch and plan on getting wet!

Adaptive Rec is also offering some classes at the Rec Center this term. Armbruster is teaching an adaptive cardio and agility class on Wednesdays from 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. The class introduces participants to a variety of cardio options and equipment and works on their agility and reaction time. It is designed to make participants more fluid and powerful by increasing cardio capacity as well as agility.

Other classes include adaptive swim on Tuesdays (1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.) and Fridays (10 a.m. to 11 a.m.), and some adaptive climbing, which will be offered in three sessions this term. The first session is on April 18 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., the second session is on May 3 at the same time and the final session is on May 7 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Adaptive Rec also hosts an open rec that gives priority to all adaptive sports. This term, special focus is being given to sit

volleyball. Adaptive open rec is held Tuesdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Lastly, Adaptive Rec hosts a unique hybrid of soccer, bowling and dodgeball called “goalball” on Saturdays from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

For more details on adaptive events and classes, or for information regarding accommodations, contact Jen Armbruster at [email protected] or 503-725-2927. ?