DREAM Adaptive to be showcased on national TV show

DREAM Adaptive gives about 1,000 lessons during an average ski season, but Executive Director Julie Tickle hopes to eventually reach even more adaptive athletes.

The local nonprofit is likely to get more interest in time for next ski season, after the TV show “Making Good” features DREAM Adaptive in an episode next fall.

“DREAM’s never had this type of opportunity to showcase what we do before,” Tickle said during the final day of filming last Friday at Whitefish Mountain Resort. “We want to shout it from the rooftops what we do and the services we provide.”

DREAM Adaptive essentially provides recreation opportunities for people in the Flathead and beyond who have any type of physical or cognitive disability.

As the eight-person film crew learned during their visit to Whitefish, that straightforward mission is, in reality, a complex cooperative effort that brings together volunteers, community partners and adaptive athletes of all ages and abilities to experience Montana’s unrivaled outdoor offerings.

DREAM is probably best-known for its downhill skiing program, which has been active on Big Mountain since the 1980s. With its arsenal of specialized equipment and army of almost 100 trained volunteers, DREAM makes it possible for skiers to load onto chairlifts and cruise down the slopes, whether they have visual, physical or cognitive impairments.

Tickle emphasized the importance of making sure that people with all different abilities are “treated the same [and] given the same access to all these beautiful outdoor opportunities.”

“That’s basically why DREAM exists,” she said.

It’s also why DREAM offers adaptive recreation options year-round, including watersports, mountain biking, and Nordic skiing, the most recent addition to DREAM’s repertoire.

THIS COMPREHENSIVE commitment to getting everyone outside attracted the attention of Kirby Heyborne, host of “Making Good,” produced by Brigham Young University.

Currently filming its third season, Making Good travels around the country to highlight nonprofits providing an assortment of services to different communities. Heyborne gets up close and personal with each organization to learn about their missions and shed light on the challenging, but rewarding work.

The goofy, lighthearted host has helped rehabilitate animals, entertain children with disabilities and mow lawns for elderly homeowners.

With DREAM Adaptive, Heyborne practiced sit-skiing alongside some of the organization’s most experienced athletes, received training to assist skiers with different capabilities and eventually skied around as a guide for DREAM participants.

It was a fun and eye-opening experience for DREAM’s visitors, and Tickle said she’s excited the show will provide a platform to share that appreciation with a nationwide audience.

“It’s the most amazing thing,” said Sebastian Meyer, the story producer for “Making Good.” He and his colleagues were blown away by the solutions DREAM Adaptive has come up with to make snow sports accessible to anyone who wants to get out on the slopes.

STARRING IN the show seemed to be just as rewarding for the DREAM participants who accompanied Heyborne throughout the week.

“It’s been pretty fantastic,” said Chance Cooke, the father of 11-year-old adaptive skier Kate Cooke.

Shortly after undergoing a shunt revision brain operation in Kalispell, Kate got back in her bindings last week to work with Heyborne on one of his first guiding excursions.

Kate’s father said she and her family were eager to help out on the show, since DREAM Adaptive has played a vital role in Kate’s life throughout many medical challenges.

“DREAM has given us a lot,” said Cooke, whose daughter has been involved with the program for four years. “They’ve provided a lot of support and guidance, and given Kate a lot of confidence.”

The Cookes were delighted by the chance to showcase the good that DREAM does in the community for families like theirs. “We want to help the organization grow and continue to be a positive thing in the community,” Cooke said.

Everyone out on the snow last week seemed to share that goal.

Board member Lucas Stacy, for instance, took the time to show Heyborne the ropes of sit-skiing because he’s always trying to recruit more adaptive athletes to join him on the slopes.

The four-year DREAM participant said the Whitefish organization gives more experienced instruction to athletes and assistants than he’s seen anywhere else, and he figured teaching Heyborne the rewards and challenges of adaptive recreation would be a great way to educate a broader audience about what makes DREAM unique.

“It’s cool these guys are highlighting that,” Stacy said. “They really want to help people. I’m pretty thankful for that.”

And Tickle pointed out the attention from “Making Good” couldn’t have come at a better time. The COVID-19 pandemic has made it especially challenging for people with disabilities to get out in their communities, which can exacerbate hardships for people who are often already experiencing isolation.

“I think now, more than ever, we’re needed,” Tickle said.

Making Good expects to air an episode on DREAM Adaptive in September, 2021.

For more information and to support about DREAM Adaptive, visit https://www.dreamadaptive.org

Reporter Bret Anne Serbin may be reached at 758-4459 or bserbin@dailyinterlake.com.