Ames, Keely

English

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices2-7-2007Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic AthleteDevelopment Center For Nordic SkiingKeely AmesNortheast PassageFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationAmes, Keely, "Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic Athlete Development Center For Nordic Skiing" (2007). UNH Today. 753.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/7539/16/2016 Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic Athlete Development Center For Nordic Skiinghttp://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/feb/ka07paralympic.cfm.html 1/1UNH Media Relations Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic AthleteDevelopment Center For Nordic SkiingContact:  Keely Ames 603­862­0070Northeast PassageFebruary 7, 2007DURHAM, N.H. ­­ Northeast Passage has recently secured a contract with U.S. Paralympics, adivision of the U.S. Olympic Committee, to develop Nordic skiers with physical disabilitiesand/or visual impairments for elite level competition.The Paralympic Games is an international competition among each nation’s elite athletes withphysical disabilities and is second in size only to the Olympic Games. The Paralympic Gamesfollow the Olympic Games at the same venues and facilities. The next Winter ParalympicGames will be held in 2010 in Vancouver, British Colombia.As part of the U.S. Paralympics’ new strategy, Northeast Passage is currently one of two sitesin the country for grassroots Nordic development. The other is Park City, Utah.The Jackson Ski Touring Foundation in Jackson will be the main training site for this program.Jackson has a long history of hosting and developing adaptive cross country skiing and heldthe World Championships for Disabled Nordic Skiing in 1990.“This is a superb opportunity to partner with Northeast Passage,” said Thom Perkins,executive director of JacksonXC. “This program offers folks with mobility impairments anintroduction to the wonderful winter sport of cross country skiing.”The Weston Ski Track in Weston, Mass., will also serve as a training site.Former Paralympian Craig Gray of Scarborough, Me., competed in Nagano in 1998. He sayshe is excited about the prospect of new, young athletes joining the sport.“The United States will see better results in Nordic skiing when we match young athletes upwith coaches who can teach them the discipline and techniques it will take to win at the worldclass level, while their endurance capacity is still increasing,” said Gray. “This program has thepotential to drastically change the sport of disabled Nordic skiing.”Northeast Passage is a program of the University of New Hampshire’s School of Health andHuman Services, and is an affiliate of Disabled Sports USA. Northeast Passage develops anddelivers innovative, barrier­free recreation and health promotion programs. Northeast Passageis also a Paralympic Athlete Development Center and offers student­athletes the opportunityto train and attend the University of New Hampshire.Northeast Passage is looking for interested athletes to participate in this new program. Thisopportunity is open to people with physical disabilities and individuals with visualimpairments, ages 8­35. No previous skiing experience necessary. For more information, visitthe Northeast Passage Web site (www.nepassage.org) for “Learn to Ski” group dates or call(603­862­0070) to schedule a private lesson to try the sport or develop skills.

Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic Athlete Development Center For Nordic Skiing

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
2-7-2007
Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic Athlete
Development Center For Nordic Skiing
Keely Ames
Northeast Passage
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Ames, Keely, "Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic Athlete Development Center For Nordic Skiing" (2007). UNH Today. 753.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/753
9/16/2016 Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic Athlete Development Center For Nordic Skiing
http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/cj_nr/2007/feb/ka07paralympic.cfm.html 1/1
UNH Media Relations 
Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic Athlete
Development Center For Nordic Skiing
Contact:  Keely Ames 
603­862­0070
Northeast Passage
February 7, 2007
DURHAM, N.H. ­­ Northeast Passage has recently secured a contract with U.S. Paralympics, a
division of the U.S. Olympic Committee, to develop Nordic skiers with physical disabilities
and/or visual impairments for elite level competition.
The Paralympic Games is an international competition among each nation’s elite athletes with
physical disabilities and is second in size only to the Olympic Games. The Paralympic Games
follow the Olympic Games at the same venues and facilities. The next Winter Paralympic
Games will be held in 2010 in Vancouver, British Colombia.
As part of the U.S. Paralympics’ new strategy, Northeast Passage is currently one of two sites
in the country for grassroots Nordic development. The other is Park City, Utah.
The Jackson Ski Touring Foundation in Jackson will be the main training site for this program.
Jackson has a long history of hosting and developing adaptive cross country skiing and held
the World Championships for Disabled Nordic Skiing in 1990.
“This is a superb opportunity to partner with Northeast Passage,” said Thom Perkins,
executive director of JacksonXC. “This program offers folks with mobility impairments an
introduction to the wonderful winter sport of cross country skiing.”
The Weston Ski Track in Weston, Mass., will also serve as a training site.
Former Paralympian Craig Gray of Scarborough, Me., competed in Nagano in 1998. He says
he is excited about the prospect of new, young athletes joining the sport.
“The United States will see better results in Nordic skiing when we match young athletes up
with coaches who can teach them the discipline and techniques it will take to win at the world
class level, while their endurance capacity is still increasing,” said Gray. “This program has the
potential to drastically change the sport of disabled Nordic skiing.”
Northeast Passage is a program of the University of New Hampshire’s School of Health and
Human Services, and is an affiliate of Disabled Sports USA. Northeast Passage develops and
delivers innovative, barrier­free recreation and health promotion programs. Northeast Passage
is also a Paralympic Athlete Development Center and offers student­athletes the opportunity
to train and attend the University of New Hampshire.
Northeast Passage is looking for interested athletes to participate in this new program. This
opportunity is open to people with physical disabilities and individuals with visual
impairments, ages 8­35. No previous skiing experience necessary. For more information, visit
the Northeast Passage Web site (www.nepassage.org) for “Learn to Ski” group dates or call
(603­862­0070) to schedule a private lesson to try the sport or develop skills.


https://scholars.unh.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1746&amp;context=news

Northeast Passage Establishes Paralympic Athlete Development Center For Nordic Skiing

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New Hampshire