Vermont Business Magazine Being a volunteer with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports exemplifies tireless dedication, strong leadership, and a big heart. Our commitment to empowering athletes with disabilities is reflected in all of our highly trained instructors. The best volunteers in 2023 were Glenn Torres, Andy Holt, Jay Schultz and Ben Hamilton.
These four 2023 Volunteer of the Year honorees are Adaptive Volunteers of Vermont, a legacy of empowering people of all abilities through sports and recreation, and a commitment to supporting organizations. , embodying the characteristics and accomplishments of Jim Hutchinson.
Ms. Torres, a Waterbury resident, has been a volunteer with Vermont Adaptive for the past 30 years and is extremely dedicated and active in volunteer work.
This winter season, he taught 44 private lessons at Sugarbush Resort, totaling up to 29.5 instructional days. He actively volunteers all year round, not just during the winter months. He can always be found volunteering at his Vermont Adaptive’s many annual events, including the VT50, VT 100, Charity Challenge, and the Allen-Clark Hill Climb.
In addition to attending and supporting these major events, Mr. Torres continued to find time to volunteer for summer programs. This summer, he volunteered at the Open Enrollment Paddle Programming Day, CORE Connections Programming Day, and many of the school’s group bike path rides. Not surprisingly, Torres is the instructor who taught the most lessons during the 23/24 winter season at Sugarbush and the 2023 summer season at Central Vermont. In addition to his obvious contributions to Vermont Adaptive over the past 30 years, he has spent a truly incredible amount of time in central programming over the last year.
Ms. Schultz has been an outstanding volunteer year-round since 2021. I am willing to learn any sport to help Vermont Adaptive. I also learned to ski so I could volunteer in the winter. He is popular among athletes and fellow volunteers and is just a phone call away when he needs help.
In addition to volunteering in Bolton Valley and Burlington during the summer, Schultz also plays an active role with Sugarbush’s Sunday Ski Team, helping transport SOVT athletes and coaching them on the snow. Although Vermont Adaptive will be sad to lose Schultz this year as he moves to Reno, Nevada for work, he has left an indelible impression on everyone he has worked with and is committed to Vermont.・You are welcome to come back anytime to visit your adaptive family. .
Holt, a Burlington resident, has been a dedicated volunteer for many years. He has served as a favorite instructor for athletes and a mentor for other volunteers. He is always interested in increasing his knowledge base and sharing his knowledge with others. He participates in skiing, biking, mountaineering, paddling, and enjoys participating in the Veterans Ventures program. When Vermont Adaptive isn’t sure what to do, he’s been known to stop by the sailing center and help work on the bike. Mr. Holt’s commitment to Vermont Adaptive is evident and the organization is fortunate to have him.
Ben Hamilton of North Chittenden has been with Vermont Adaptive for two years and has stood out during that time helping with numerous lessons and special events. Whether on the snow, on the bike path or on the water, his steady nature and dedication are evident to all participants and the public.
A skier by nature, Hamilton is also known to occasionally help out with snowboarding lessons when needed. He also brings great perspective from his training and work as a paramedic, his education in the medical field, his love of the outdoors, and his local knowledge of Vermont. His future plans include attending medical school so he can continue learning and help people in his community after graduation.
To volunteer with Vermont Adaptive, candidates must participate in on-snow and on-snow training in either the winter program or spring/summer training each year. For more information, visit www.vermontadaptive.org/get-involved.
About Vermont Adaptive
Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports is a nationally recognized organization that empowers people of all abilities through inclusive sports and recreation programs, regardless of their ability to pay. In addition to sports, year-round program options integrate environmental, holistic health, and competitive training philosophies for people of all ages with cognitive, developmental, physical, and emotional/behavioral disorders. It has been. Sports and recreational opportunities include alpine skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. Kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddleboarding, cycling, mountain biking, sailing, rock climbing, horseback riding, veterans programs and retreats, and more. More than 400 volunteers serve athletes from around the world at his three winter locations in Vermont, Pico His Mountain in Killington. Sugarbush Resort in Warren; Bolton Valley Resort in Bolton, as well as Burlington’s waterfront during the summer and warmer months, at various locations throughout the state. For more information, please visit www.vermontadaptive.org.
Source: Killington, Vermont (December 13, 2023) — Adaptive Skiing and Sports in Vermont