Telluride Adaptive Sports Program Provides Outdoor Fun for All

TASP Road Runners

Ahhhhhh, the great outdoors. Experiencing the mountains is what people love to do here in Colorado. Winter, spring, summer and fall, visitors and residents alike are forever seeking opportunities to embrace nature. It’s not enough to just sit there and gaze out at our spectacular vistas; in the West we get out and play in our mountains, valleys and streams. It’s about the activities—whether you’re a fierce competitor or a city slicker in search of fresh air—the best fun is had by doing a mountain sport.

But for people dealing with disabilities, this can seem like a near insurmountable task. Thankfully most of our mountain towns offer programs that make access to the great outdoors possible for all. Often affiliated with the ski resorts, most of these organizations arrange year-round activities for people facing particular challenges.

TASP in Moab, Utah

I sat down with Telluride Adaptive Sports Program (TASP) director, Courtney Steuchli, at the end of last ski season to chat about this inspiring organization and how they facilitate fun for children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. In our Travel Fun interview below, you’ll hear Courtney talk about the skiing, cycling, fishing, rock climbing and more that enable all kinds of people to experience the joy of the outdoors.

“It takes a small army to do what we do,” Courtney explains when talking about TASP, an organization that provides over two thousand lessons a year thanks to specially-trained guides and volunteers. Not surprisingly, there has been an increasing need to help disabled veterans, many of whom experience good times in the mountains with their families while forging forward with their own healing. “When you have a wounded warrior, it’s not just the wounded warrior that’s been effected,” Courtney says. “It’s nice to provide a Telluride vacation for all.”

This summer, Telluride will showcase one of the greatest events of all for disabled people looking to recreate outside. August 8-11, TASP and the Telluride Tourism office will host No Barriers, a four-day event that will draw people from near and far to participate in everything from  hiking to painting a mural.

Providing Assistance

Winter Fun for All

Reaching New Heights

Click on the play button below to hear Courtney talk about this event and the year-round doings of TASP. Donations in the form of time, money or other are always appreciated. You’ll see by checking out the TASP website that there are many ways to help this organization continue to make a difference in so many people’s lives.

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