A little over a week has passed since I spoke for the US Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Today, I spoke in Midway, Utah. Driving up there I was reminded of the challenge I had learning to snow board years ago. I grew up surfing, skiing, windsurfing and skate boarding. I had pretty good balance but NOTHING I ever learned caused me to fall (and fail) as many times as I did learning to snowboard. I calculated that I fell more times in my first two hours of snowboarding then I had in all my years skiing combined. So when I read stories like the one from 16 year old Jess, a volunteer with NEHSA, I am in awe of those who snowboard while giving a “lift” to those who can’t even walk.

  Why I Want To Teach

I’ve grown up a little different then the average kid that goes skiing and snowboarding. My dad has worked at NEHSA, New England Handicapped Sports Association at Mount Sunapee for 14 years in the sit-down program. My mom has worked for around 10 years in the stand-up program. My brother who is 17 does some work with the bi and mono ski. Spending most of my winters up at NEHSA I have begun to help out teaching the snowboarding lessons. I ski and snowboard so I also go out and help. I prefer to teach the snowboarding basically because the instructors that take me out are willing to help teach me how to teach and improve my teaching skills. We also always have fun, even if the lesson barely makes it out to the slope we have fun just getting there.
I want to teach snowboarding because I want to make a difference in somebody’s day. I have grown up playing soccer. I travel all over the east coast and I realize the commitment and money that goes into bringing me around. So when I go out and play I try my hardest and put all my effort into playing. I am the same way with teaching. NEHSA is a volunteer program, so you learn to get your payment out of the students’ reactions to the lessons. When they come back in to the lodge smiling because they had fun, it is just as good or better than getting paid.I want to teach because I want to grow up being part of this amazing program. I want to be the best teacher I can be and help out as many people as I can. I want to make a difference and better myself at the same time. I want to show these kids they can do anything they want to do and the only limits they have are the limits they put on themselves. I want them to believe that “impossible” is nothing, nothing at all.

Tim Richardson is an inspirational speaker who speaks about how giving increases employee morale, lowers employee turnover, increases customer loyalty and creates higher profits for Fortune 500 companies, associations, and national conventions. He is the founder of the The Worlds Biggest Blog Party an event which will connect bloggers from all over the world to raise money for charity. He is also founder and president of the Bill Walter Melanoma Research Fund. For more information on Tim, go to www.TimRichardson.com