Describing the Para alpine skiing and Para snowboard Development Camp she led at Cardrona earlier this month as the best she had ever been involved in, Snow Sports NZ Para High Performance Programme & Pathway Manager Jane Stevens was fulsome in her praise.
With more than three decades of experience in adaptive skiing, Jane believes the camp’s greatest strength was its holistic approach to developing high-performance athletes. Funded with support from the PNZ Bupa Inclusive Para Sport Grant, the four-day programme looked beyond on-snow performance to explore the many elements required to succeed in elite sport.
“I’ve run many camps over the years, but with many of them the focus is purely on improving skills on the snow,” explains Jane, who served as NZ Paralympic Team Chef de Mission at the Beijing 2022 and Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
“This camp not only offered input in that area but also provided support off the snow. It really strengthens what we are doing as a programme, with a longer-term focus on the Utah 2034 Paralympic Winter Games.”
Held from 6–9 October, the camp brought together eight emerging Para alpine skiers and one Para snowboard athlete, aged between 11 and 31. Parents, caregivers and other significant support people also attended, ensuring the benefits extended beyond the Para athletes.
On-snow sessions combined coaching with valuable opportunities to train through the gates, with current Snow Sports NZ Para Lead Coach Sam Lynch joined by former incumbent Daniel Bogue, to share their expertise.
Away from the slopes, participants took part in a series of workshops led by specialists across key areas of high-performance sport, including nutrition, strength and conditioning, sports psychology and athlete life.
Three coaches were also invited to attend, providing an introduction to Para snow sports and helping build the knowledge and capability needed to support the next generation of Para snow sports athletes.
Adding another dimension to the camp was the presence of three leading New Zealand leading Para snow sports athletes: Paralympian #158 Adam Hall PLY MNZM, Paralympian #188 Corey Peters MNZM – who between them have won ten Paralympic Games medals – and Paralympian #189 Carl Murphy PLY, the first athlete to represent the NZ Paralympic Team in Para snowboard.
“I don’t think you can underestimate their star power, and we are appreciative that Adam, Corey and Carl gave their time to attend the camp,” adds Jane. “For the younger kids in particular, they were hanging off every word.”
For Jane, the involvement of parents and caregivers was another important ingredient in the camp’s success. Bringing them into the programme helped build a clearer understanding of the high-performance pathway and the support required to navigate it.
“Having them on the hill as a captive audience allowed for many ongoing and invaluable conversations,” she said. “Not only that, but being able to mentor some coaches, show them what Para coaching looks like and give them hands-on experience of working with people with a disability was critical to strengthening the high-performance pathway.”
Importantly, the Cardrona camp is just the beginning. Four of the athletes who attended are set to take part in a follow-up camp at Winter Park, Colorado, next February. Led by Sam Lynch, the experience will build on the knowledge gained at Cardrona, deepen their understanding of the high-performance pathway and better prepare them for the next stage of their sporting journeys.
Among those who embraced the opportunity at Cardrona was Christchurch-based sit-skier Hayley Bushby. A former skier who acquired her disability in a paragliding accident two-and-a-half years ago, Hayley sees the camp as an ideal springboard for the next stage of her Para alpine skiing journey.
“It was an amazing experience,” she says. “Yes, it was very challenging, but in a good way, and it offered an incredible insight into how Para athletes train both on and off the mountain.”
One of the highlights for Hayley was watching Paralympians Adam Hall and Corey Peters effortlessly glide their way down the mountain. Their performances offered a glimpse of what might be possible, inspiring her to pursue the next phase of her development at Winter Park next year.
“High-performance sport is in no way easy, but it also sounds so incredible,” adds Hayley. “I feel very privileged to experience the camp and to see what opportunities exist.”
For Jane, the camp represents an important step in turning grassroots participation into a pathway towards future Paralympic success, including at the Utah 2034 Paralympic Winter Games.
“We have many amazing grassroots programmes in New Zealand with a large uptake, but the camp allowed us to transfer those athletes on to the high-performance pathway. Everyone had so much fun, and the camaraderie between all those who attended was a joy to see.”
***Eight initiatives which will impact more than 1200 disabled New Zealanders, coaches, whānau, friends, volunteers and people new to Para sport are expected to benefit from a combined $73,000 through the inaugural PNZ Bupa Inclusive Para Sport Grant.
