Pierre’s journey back to the mountains
Pierre’s story with Teton Adaptive began in 2021 when he started learning how to ski after his injury. It wasn’t an easy process, he told me. He remembered the feeling of dread of heading to the mountain in the early days of learning to ski. Jackson Hole is a hard mountain, and learning how to ski on a monoski felt like a near impossible feat. A snowboarder before his injury in 2020, skiing just took a long time to really click. Yes, it is just one ski, like a snowboard, but Pierre recalled how narrow the ski felt, “everyone wanted to put me on racing skis, which didn’t fit my style at all”. The stress of going to the mountain, the frustration at of holding up his friends, and “ruining a powder day” for his friends left Pierre thinking he might quit.
But with a whole lot of patience, practice and persistence, plus some help from friends (like TA Program Manager, AK) Pierre says he is now at a really good place with his skiing. You can find Pierre shredding around the mountain in the winter time after his shift driving a Snow Cat. The man can RIP. I asked him how he feels when people call adaptive athletes “inspirational”. He said “if someone comes up to me at the top of the lift, they’ve usually not seen me ski before”. That’s when he feels a little weird, because it can often feel like this well meaning person is just impressed that he is out and about. “I am out here living a life, it looks different, but yeah sure.” When someone comes up to him at the bottom of a lift? “And I’m out there shredding… I’m like ‘yeah, thanks!’ it does make me feel good.”
Biking, on the other hand, Pierre was able to pick up almost immediately, and was able to go fast right away. It was like… well, riding a bike! Now, as a Program Coordinator, Pierre is able to help others (re)discover the joy of being in the mountains, from a visiting group of paralyzed veterans to the clients at Community Entry Services here in Jackson. “I remember how impactful it was for me [getting back in the mountains], [and] helping others experience that fills my cup for sure”. He told me about an athlete he worked with this summer who was determined to get on a Bowhead Reach. “He took some hard slams … but he kept going, kept improving, and that … super relatable for me. It reminded me of my own early days skiing, falling constantly and getting frustrated. But he stuck with it, he just wanted it so badly, and the payoff was huge.” Pierre’s role at Teton Adaptive has allowed him to connect with athletes with a wide range of disabilities, bridging experiences between those with physical and cognitive disabilities. Prior to his injury, Pierre had never worked with people with disabilities, and now, not only is he helping others with physical disabilities get back on a bike, he also works with people with cognitive and developmental disabilities feel comfortable riding.
I asked Pierre what sports he has enjoyed getting back to. “It’s probably climbing, to be honest. That’s the one I had the most fun with. I know [the program] is going to expand, so I’d like to do more of that.” The one sport he wishes Teton Adaptive offers? Golf. He didn’t even have to wait for me to finish my sentence
