Skip to content

Tana Wins Courage Kenny Program’s Skier of the Year Award

For the past 7 years, Tana has been spending Mondays every winter skiing at Hyland Hills through the Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute – a program that offers opportunities for adaptive skiing and snowboarding each season.

And last month, Tana received an incredible honor for the first time in her stretch of ski runs – the title of Skier of the Year for the Monday night Hyland Hills program. We are so proud of her for receiving this much deserved recognition for a sport she loves so much. We even have a video of Tana receiving her award!

With opportunities like Courage Kenny programs, Tana and other medically complex individuals can be involved in the sports they enjoy despite unique physical or mental needs – and the volunteers who donate their time to helping make these programs happen are crucial to its success.

Tana takes a photo with her skiing volunteers at Hyland HillsCourage Kenny’s adaptive skiing program is entirely volunteer based, and Tana teamed up with three different volunteer skiers throughout the 10-week winter program as they helped her navigate the hills. Although all skiers have a special need of some type from blindness to paraplegia, Tana’s mom Jill believes her daughter is the only skier with a trach. Tana’s spina bifida diagnosis doesn’t slow her or her family down – skiing is just one of many activities that keep her active, thriving, and involved in the community.

Hats off to you, Tana, for being skier of the year! We always love to hear about patients who are living their fullest lives. Are you interested in learning more about adaptive sports in the Twin Cities area? Check out our blog about different opportunities here.

Originally published: May 10, 2017

Leave a Comment