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By Christine Holmberg, Executive Director
But before we jump into winter Foresight has plenty to celebrate about summer. We held our first two summer camps this year! Blind and visually impaired youth from the Front Range traveled to the Vail Valley for two-days of challenge recreation. Both camps were successful, and Foresight is well on its way to becoming a two-season organization, providing transformative experiences for blind and visually impaired individuals in the winter AND the summer. Now that's reason to celebrate! Read more on the summer camps below. Now my attention turns to winter and wondering what kind of season we'll have. We had a wonderful ski season last year, despite COVID restrictions. We only guided adults, but we had a blast doing it and we welcomed two new adult VIPs into our program. I've said it before, I'm a glass half full kind of gal. I remain optimistic that we'll welcome back our school kids this upcoming season and look forward to seeing more of our adults return to Vail for fun and adventure on the mountain. We missed you! Our mission remains the same; to promote fitness, athletic skills, personal achievement, and self-esteem for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. We provide challenge recreation opportunities by making snow sports easily accessible and affordable. And now we can add summer activities to our list of offerings. Foresight is committed to fulfilling its mission and we've proven we can do that even during a pandemic. Enjoy the final few weeks of summer and what will, no doubt, be a beautiful fall. And know that in a few short months we'll be gearing up for ski season. Bring it on!
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By Christine Holmberg, Executive Director
2020 is quickly coming to an end and for many it could not come soon enough. To say the last nine months have been challenging is an understatement. There is no need for me to rehash how life as we knew it has been turned upside down. And how there is a faint glow beginning to appear at the end of the proverbial tunnel. We all hope 2021 is drastically different from 2020 but only if it is better than what we just went through. I am a glass half full kinda gal and I choose to remain hopeful that calmer waters are ahead. Just how far ahead remains to be seen but we will get there… eventually. Thanksgiving has come and gone and despite feeling like there is not much to be thankful for this year there are a few reasons to say “thanks.”
Christmas and Hanukkah are fast approaching. All around us homes are decorated in the spirit of the season and trees are draped in brightly colored lights reminding us to have hope that better times are just around the corner. There are plenty of reasons to “LET the door hit 2020 in the *bleep*” on its way out. I am as ready as anyone to ‘get back to normal.’ My heart goes out to anyone who has been negatively affected by the pandemic. We have all been touched by it in one way or another. But despite all the heartaches and headaches and inconveniences this last year has brought there are a few things I am grateful for. I am grateful for my family and the strength, sacrifice, and commitment they have shown in the past year. I am grateful for my Foresight family – all the guides, shadows, and board members that support me and this incredible organization. I am grateful for all the teachers, chaperones, family members and friends who bring our VIPs to Vail and Beaver Creek each year so they can feel the thrill, excitement, and freedom of skiing. And I am grateful for all our blind and visually impaired participants. Their grit, determination and perseverance inspire me beyond words. 2021… Welcome. It’s nice to meet you. Happy holidays and best wishes for good health for you and those you love. By Christine Holmberg, Executive Director Autumn is officially here and in the Vail Valley the mountains resemble an artist’s canvas brushed with yellow, orange, green and the occasional splash of red thanks to the annual changing of the leaves. As we move into Fall, we reflect over the past six months and the often turbulent ride it’s been. What started off as a fabulous ski season for Foresight Ski Guides came to an abrupt halt at the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. While we all know more today than we did back in the early days of March there is still plenty of uncertainty that lies ahead. What I do know is that we, Foresight Ski Guides, will persevere. Foresight began as the passion project of founder Mark G. Davis back in 2001 after he literally awoke one morning and discovered he had lost his functional vision due to complications of multiple sclerosis. Mark quickly learned the adverse physical, mental, and social impacts that many blind and visually impaired individuals experience. Having been a skier all his life Mark felt inspired to try guided skiing, a three-person system that includes the blind or visually impaired individual, a guide, and a shadow. The guide uses verbal instruction to direct the blind or visually impaired person down the ski slope and the shadow follows to watch out for the group’s safety. Guided skiing was so empowering for Mark that he founded Foresight Ski Guides so that others with visual impairment could access that same transformative experience. Our very founder’s story is a lesson in overcoming adversity, and we will all overcome it too and likely be better for it!
Mark retired last summer providing me with the incredible opportunity to lead this amazing organization. But “Who is she?”, I imagine most of you are asking. I’m Christine Holmberg, 15-year resident of the Vail Valley, mother of two teenage sons. My passions are dancing, skiing, musical theatre, hiking, biking, laughing and goofing around with the aforementioned teenage sons and spending as much time as possible with friends and family, which isn’t enough these days! My work history includes 7+ years as a television producer in San Francisco and Northern Nevada, 6-years in hospitality sales in the Vail Valley, 3 ½ years as a corporate event planner for a destination management company and 19 months with Foresight, first as Program Director and now as Executive Director. Every job has been unique and challenging in its own way and though there were bumps, bruises, and yes tears along the way each taught me things about life and myself that I will forever cherish. So, bring it on COVID-19. If you think I’m going to let a global pandemic get in the way of the great work we do at Foresight I’ve got a message for you – No Way! We have some exciting things right around the corner for Foresight so stay tuned. You might want to pull out and dust off those dancing shoes… just saying. Visualizing the Possibilities… |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
September 2021
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