PARK CITY, Utah – A group of teens from all over are attending a camp at Park City Mountain Resort, and the young amputees are proving that they are “Un-Limb-ited.”
Event organizers for “Camp Un-Limb-ited”, which is sponsored by Shriners Hospitals for Children, flew in 17 teens from across the country as well as one teen from Santiago, Chile. All of the attendees are Shriners patients who were born without or have lost limbs, and the camp is free for them to attend.
Instructors from the National Ability Center provide adaptive ski equipment and expert ski and snowboard instruction. Matthew Lowell, co-director of the camp, said the camp gives the teens an important opportunity.
"Our camp was named by a camper as ‘Un-Limb-ited,’ and that's what we really try to push for them is they are unlimited: They can do what they want, they've just got to figure out how,” he said.
Those who attended said the best part of experience is the chance to spend time with others who face challenges familiar to them.
"I’ve kind of seen how other teenage amputees, like their experiences, and I've heard how my experience is not the only experience there is, and mine has been super great, and there are some things in other teens' lives that aren't quite as great and then other things that are super great too, so I like hearing about the different experiences it helps to prepare me for the rest of life,” said Elizabeth Sweeten, a teen from Logan who attended the camp.
Nicole Davis of Provo also came to the camp, and she agreed with Sweeten.
“I think it's really cool to come and like talk to other teenage amputees and to… make friends that know what it's like to be an amputee, because I’ve met adults and little kids--but this is the first time I’ve met any teenage amputees,” she said.
Santiago Vega, a Sochi Paralympian, said the camp has been one of the best experiences of his life. For more information about the camp, click here.
