007 OSI Community Interview- What Makes Participation Possible with Eileen Carey of the US Paralympics Nordic Team
Release Date: 12/22/2020
OSI Community Podcast
When you think about infrastructure that supports outdoor recreation you might think of ski slopes, bike parks, and trails, but in Skowhegan, Maine these days the talk is all about a river park. This kind of infrastructure investment can be a decades long journey fraught with permitting issues, fundraising challenges, and the difficult work of building a shared vision amongst stakeholders. It’s impressive that any small community would take on such a vision, but what’s even more impressive in Skowhegan is that this vision is actually coming to life. Just this week Kristina Cannon,...
info_outline 023 OSI Community Podcast - Emotional Intelligence and Serendipity in Outdoor LeadershipOSI Community Podcast
Chad Thatcher is a professor in Southern Oregon University’s Outdoor Adventure Leadership program. He has worked, taught, and led expeditions around the globe for decades. Yet for someone with an amazing breadth and depth of technical experience, Chad’s focus these days is on developing the emotional intelligence of tomorrow’s outdoor leaders. His goal is to develop people who can take their leadership skills into any environment, not just the outdoors. If you find a conversation about these topics interesting, you’ll really want to listen as we dive into his research on serendipity...
info_outline 022 OSI Community Podcast - Workforce Development Through Outdoor Leadership TrainingOSI Community Podcast
This month as we continue to explore outdoor leadership development, we sat down with Seth Walton, the Outdoor Leadership Instructor at the Mid-Coast School of Technology. Seth walks us through his experience combining outdoor leadership training and workforce development for high school students in one of Maine's Career and Technical Education (CTE) Centers. He shared his approach to building a highly sought-after experience, and the ways being a small program can have BIG advantages for students. To learn more about Seth and his Outdoor Leadership program at the Mid-Coast School of...
info_outline 021 OSI Community Podcast - Developing Outdoor Leaders & The Role of CommunityOSI Community Podcast
We're back after a "deep winter" hiatus, and invite you to join us for this first episode of 2022! This time around we found ourselves wandering into a deeper conversation about what's needed in developing outdoor leaders for today's world. We discuss the moments in our leadership journeys that helped us progress, and opened our eyes to the value of community. Speaking of which, we are now accepting applications for the OSI Summer Internship. If you are over the age of 20 and have an interest in developing your skills while working at the intersection of community and the outdoors, apply...
info_outline 020 OSI Community Podcast - Building Support for Outdoor InitiativesOSI Community Podcast
On this episode of the OSI Community Podcast we are taking some time to sit down with Matt DeLaney, a founding member of the Katahdin Gear Library. Matt brings his insights into how he was able to leverage regional community energy to make outdoor equipment more accessible to the Katahdin Region through the Katahdin Gear Library. Matt reveals his deliberate process for building community engagement through bringing people together around a common vision.
info_outline 019 OSI Community Podcast- Peak Experiences with Silas RossiOSI Community Podcast
On this episode we speak with Silas Rossi, an internationally licensed IFMGA mountain guide and owner of Alpine Logic Guide Service about the importance of consistency. Silas also discusses how to leverage peak experiences to expand your perceptions of what you are able to accomplish when you return home. We also dive into mindset and Silas shares some thoughts on managing stress both on and off the cliff.
info_outline 018 OSI Community Podcast- Outdoor Leadership Begins in the CommunityOSI Community Podcast
It's October and the fall is full affect here in Maine. It's always a great time of year to look back on what we've done over the past 10 months. It is also a great time to look ahead to see where we want to go in the months ahead. In this episode, Mike and I sit down and look at what the future holds for the OSI Community Podcast. We explore how we got here, and what themes we want to explore further in the months ahead. Thank-you for coming along with us on this adventure over the past year and a half!
info_outline 017 OSI Community Podcast- Learning Skills and Developing Leadership through Peer Review with Jacob VerhaeghOSI Community Podcast
Jacob shares his stories of growing up in a family of paddlers.
info_outline 016 OSI Community Podcast- Why Outdoor Clubs Develop the Whole StudentOSI Community Podcast
Why is this the perfect time to start an outdoor club at your school? Teens to Trails executive director Alicia Heyburn shares why the school administrators are seeing the value of getting students back outside, how to apply for outdoor adventure grants to help get the club going and why more than ever students need to find a new place in the world.
info_outline 015 OSI Community Podcast- The Impact of Adaptive ActivitiesOSI Community Podcast
In this episode we begin to unpack the challenges facing members of our community living with aphasia, and other cognitive and physical challenges. We begin to understand the size and scope of the need for services, as well as what Bruce and Annemarie and the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center are doing to create unique opportunities in our communities. We'll hear about why they founded the AOEC, and what keeps them, their staff, and their volunteers motivated to create and deliver an array of programming.
info_outlineWhat makes participation possible?
Eileen Carey has spent her professional life helping others discover their potential on a pair of skis. Over the last decade her focus has been on working with adaptive skiers, serving as the Director Adaptive Programs at NENSA in New England and then the head coach with U.S. Paralympics Nordic Team. In her time in this role she transformed the program into an athlete-centered model that built from 3 medals in Sochi to 16 medals in Pyeong Chang. Eileen was awarded the Team USA Paralympic coach of the year in 2017.
Eileen now serves as the Director of the U.S. Paralympics Nordic Team. Her focus has been on sustaining competitive excellence and building the development of the sport across the country from first time experiences to podium finishes.
This month we’re sitting down with Eileen to talk about the world of adaptive winter sports, and what her experience has taught her about improving inclusivity and participation in the outdoors.
Join us as we discuss questions such as…
- What does the pathway to participation look like for adaptive skiers?
- What is an athlete-centered model, and how can we use these principles to improve non-competitive community-based programs?
- What are the most common barriers and challenges she has seen to making winter sports more accessible and inclusive?
- What can the development of para-athletes teach us about improving access and participation to outdoor sports for all ages and abilities in our communities
Resources Mentioned in this Episode
US Paralympic Nordic Ski Team Resources
US Paralympic Nordic Skiing Recruiting Survey
Andy Soule's Gold Medal Finish in Pyeong Chang, 2018
The Outdoor Sport Institute & The OSI Community
Our mission is to help people in rural places make human-powered outdoor sports an integral part of their lives and communities. We are a 501c3 non-profit organization.
The OSI Community is a peer-driven network of people who are -
- Pursuing outdoor sports personally
- Teaching and mentoring others outdoors
- Building capacity for outdoor sports in their community
Through the OSI Community members can access online and in-person instruction, a growing online resource library, and a network of peers to connect with and share ideas.