My name is Robert A. Mueller (RAM) and my story begins in the fall of 1995, my senior year of high school. Just returning from a study abroad year in New Zealand, I had wanderlust on the brain. I quit the varsity soccer team and the same day crashed my step mothers BMW. Needless to say I needed some direction.
My second home that year was the Lane residence as I was great friends with the three Lane girls. Their mother, Mary Lane, was the program coordinator at the White Mountain Adaptive Ski School (WMASS) at Loon Mountain. Having spent numerous hours at their house Mary was well of aware of the path that I could have been heading down. She said that I could come crash with her family at Loon if I volunteered to teach adaptive skiing with the program. It was a no brainer as I LOVED to ski and I could figure out the adaptive instruction part. Needless to say I blame Mary Lane for my current life's path.
I remember the day in December 1995 that I put on my all yellow North Face one piece suit and hit the slopes for program tryouts. I was a young hotshot and felt I could ski anything on the mountain on my 210 Salomons. I passed the test but what I was told was that I need to relearn the Wedge turn and that I had to get rid of the god awful yellow one piece (which I still have and wore the other day). For volunteering I got a seasons pass at Loon Mountain. This was my first season pass and this was exactly what I came for "free skiing". I couldn't have realized at the time the effect that that day would have on my life.
15 years later I am currently employed as the Managing Director of New England Disabled Sports (formally the White Mountain Adaptive Snowsports School). I have had the pleasure to be involved with adaptive sports all over the world from the United States and Europe to South America. I became a career adaptive sport and recreation educator and everywhere that I went I volunteered to teach individuals with disabilities how to play and have fun. It is not only my career but my passion.
This passion is the driving force behind the creation of this blog "Adaptive Sport and Recreation". The goal is to provide education regarding all aspects of adaptive sport and recreation. Through education I hope to level the field of play for all abilities.
Enjoy!
-RAM
