GROWING THE SPORT GWEN ALLARD

way, she was a model of perseverance in rallying the entire ski industry around adaptive sport.

Her career was multi-faceted, but her primary contributions came in the field of adaptive sport, where her tireless promotion of the discipline and development of programs and standards led to its broad acceptance.

Growing up in upstate New York, she gained an early passion for the outdoors from her father. In 1964, a lifelong passion was ignited when Allard was invited to start teaching skiing at nearby Maple Ski Ridge.

By the 1970s, Allard focused more on adaptive skiing, seeking mentorship from Bruce Gavett, an early pioneer in the field. Soon enough, she founded the Gore Mountain Adaptive Program.

astounding 1,250 live performances for his madcap, poignant show, complete with juggling and circus hijinks and reaching thousands of skiers and nonskiers alike.

The performances included tours, extended-run productions, and residencies, with an eight-year run in Stowe. The publication Snow Country noted that Schoenberger had created “a genre in which he is the sole and inspired practitioner,” calling him “a comet glittering across the night sky of the imagination.”

Ultimately settling in Park City, Schoenberger continued his ski teaching evolution, partnering with Ellen Post Foster in publishing a half-dozen books and videos. They also created The Turning Point Foundation, a nonprofit supporting junior ski racers in need.

He established SkiStudioParkCity to further merge his original training methods with the everevolving ski simulator. He most enjoys working with young skiers, where he can nurture the ideal carve-first technique. In 2007, Morgan Gowen came to him as a middle-of-the-pack but openeyed 11-year-old competing in the Intermountain Division. She signed on to train six days a week with Schoenberger, and to focus entirely on fundamentals. Several months later, she was the J4 Division Champion.

That helped open the flood gates, and out of a cramped, 550-square-foot space in Park City, Schoenberger has a long line of racers and recreational skiers seeking his counsel.

COURTESY OF U.S. SKI & SNOWBOARD HALL OF FAME

A pioneering snowsports educator, Gwen Allard spent a half century focusing on helping others learn how to ski, with a particular focus on adaptive skiers.

She was one of the first to embrace adaptive education and went on to become a well-respected leader within the Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors for her innovative teaching methodology and communication skills. Along the

As she began her engagement with adaptive sport, she realized that the development of standardized, professional teaching methods was vital. After earning her PSIA Level 3 in 1974, she then went on to become executive director of PSIA-Eastern in 1975, where she also founded the PSIA-E Foundation.

Her experience became essential to the ski industry in 1990 with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. With her knowledge, she was able to provide strong counsel on how to best manage new protocols to truly provide a great experience for adaptive snowsport enthusiasts.

One of her most noted accomplishments was the development of the Adaptive Sports Foundation at New York’s Ski Windham. Starting with a fledgling program in 1983, she grew it to become an epicenter for adaptive sport. In 2005, the foundation opened the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center.

In the 1980s she also began working with what’s now Move United, leading to PSIA/AASI recognition of adaptive sport. By 1987, PSIA/ AASI and its divisions were training and certifying adaptive teachers.

One of her crowning achievements involved the Double H Ranch in New York. She had been invited in 1997 by Charlie Woods and Paul Newman to investigate how they might make use of an abandoned ski area on their property. Calling on her industry network, Allard generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in donated equipment, put together a staff and volunteer team to make the ranch a thriving success for adaptive sport.

Double H Ranch was the proving ground for a PSIA-AASI program that ultimately reached 70 organizations nationwide impacting over 10,000 adaptive instructors and 20,000 adaptive students.

In recognition of her contributions to the adaptive community in New York state, Allard was honored by President George W. Bush, Governor George Pataki and Mayor Michael Bloomberg.