dedicated to re-establishing skiing as a life-
style in Maine. There, she transitioned from
coach to vice-president of the organization,
with an impressive array of experience to her
credit, foremost among these a position with
FIS as the chair of the women’s cross country
sub-committee.
At FIS cross country meetings, all members
of the women’s sub-committee have a right to
sit and have a voice in any other committee
meeting. “The main goal, for me, is just to get
more women participating in those sessions,”
said Carey. “We need to work to have more
voices from women on those committees.
That means getting more women to have a
greater voice in FIS cross country decisions.”
But for Carey, her work at FIS and her oth-
er responsibilities officiating at national level
races are all relevant to building effective and
inclusive adaptive programs. While program
goals are ultimately aimed at getting veterans
on snow and regularly involved with the adap-
tive program as recreational therapy, Carey is
trying to do this in the broader context of the
New England ski community.
“It’s really important for adaptive sports to
have connections within our larger ski com-
munity,” she explained. “My previous roles
have been helpful for me to understand how
to integrate adaptive races into existing ski
events.”
And races are just one piece of the NENSA’s
adaptive offerings. New Gloucester, Maine,
and Weston, Mass., are two pilot programs
that offer weekly adaptive clinics and lessons
for anyone interested. While athlete develop-
ment and veteran participation are both im-
portant, her vision for adaptive cross country
in New England is much broader.
“My goal for the program is for anyone, any-
where in the region to have access to equip-
ment and knowledgeable instructors, coach-
es, programming and events, close to where
they live,” she said. “Regardless of where
someone lives in New England, they can par-
ticipate in cross country skiing.”
This year, Carey has worked closely with the
Department of Veteran Affairs at medical cen-
ters, expos and welcome-home celebrations
throughout the region to build program par-
ticipation among wounded veterans returning
from combat overseas. She has also traveled
with the U.S. Paralympic Team on the Inter-
national Paralympic Committee World Cup
at cross country races in Norway and as a
technical delegate in Minneapolis, Minn. And
she’s excited to bring back what she’s learned
to the final adaptive races of the season in the
U.S. at the SuperTour Finals in Vermont.
“Seeing adaptive events at the highest level
is a great exposure,” she said. My hope is to
bring back the things I learn from those ex-
periences to improve our events in New Eng-
land.”
Carey and Christina Kouros
