We arrived in Whistler and parked in the general parking. A bus on hand kindly drove us free of charge to Whistler Creekside, where the Men's and Women's Vision Impaired Alpine and Men's and Women's Sit-Ski Alpine events were taking place. We were bundled up in needless scarves , mittens, and hats -- all of which we ditched by the time we walked to the ski lift.
"It's so warm and bright" I said.
Then we hopped on the chairlift -- a first for the girl. Her eyes lit up with equal parts amazement and terror. It was awesome to watch. The higher we got, the colder it became (of course! THank you Grade 10 Science Class). And by the time we hopped off the chairlift, we were bundled up again in entirety and snowflakes began to fall gradually.
We grabbed some hot chocolates and our seats in the grandstand. We amused ourselves watched the volunteer crew manicure the hill. We watched the big screen for Olympic updates. A canadian had just won silver in cross country. Woo! The crowd cheered. We watched news crews interview the families of atheletes about to compete and then attempted shamelessly to get into the screen so we could wave and be silly. This worked twice until the cameraman latched on to our plan and moved slightly to keep us out of focus.
There were children trying out sit-skis to much fun and much frustration. There were disabled athletes all around but they were heroes. The strongest people we've ever seen.
The women's Vision Impaired Alpine race went first. Each athlete has a guide in front of them guiding them through the gates. They have microphones in their helmets so the guide can help them navigate the course.
It's nothing short of miraculous to watch them.
Blind athlete after blind athlete skiied through the gates and down the hill with an ease that was inspirational. Determination and sheer guts were on display all the time. When athletes missed a gate, they climbed the hill to go through it again rather than quit.
It was phenomenal.
Vivienne Frost from Canada earned a Silver and we high-fived with pride.
The snow fell harder. We shivered harder. We munched on homemade trailmix to stay warm and huddled while the visually impaired men tackled the hill. Then the women in sit-skis. Then the men again.
It was 4 hours of myth-busting awesomeness and raw courage.
The crowds may not have been as big as Olympic crowds. But the spirit was certainly large.
And as we descended the hill, we overheard a thousand people each with they're own "did you see that?" or "That was amazing!" memory.
It was a spectacle that demonstrated the power of the human syrup.
And, for me, a girl with a bad back who admittedly pities myself every now and again, it was a kick in the ass and a fire in the belly reminding me that anything is possible, and that sometimes it is adversity that inspires champions.
A life-changing day.
