Hello, my name is Finn Higgins, and I was a part of the 2021 winter season with Vermont
Adaptive. I am originally from Norwich, Vermont, a place that I will always call home. I am
currently studying Food Systems with a Public Communication minor at the University of
Vermont, and I am set to graduate in May of 2021.
Over this past winter, I had numerous responsibilities throughout any given day. One of
the biggest responsibilities I had was to be a lead or assist instructor throughout the day, helping
progress athletes’ skiing ability. This involved doing drills, showing athletes examples both on
and off my skis, or simply going skiing and having fun. If no lessons were occurring, I was in
the office helping out with paperwork, Covid forms, and ensuring our volunteers who would be
out on the hill with athletes had everything they needed and were ready to go when lessons
began.
I learned a great deal from this internship and grew as a skier a fair amount as well. The
biggest takeaway from my internship was just to enjoy the simple things in life. All my athletes
were so happy to be out on the hill and could care less what was going on outside of that given
moment, and I think that showed me that you often could miss much of life that is right in front
of you when you’re worried about other things. But less philosophical and more practical, I
learned time management, managerial, ski instructing, and personal skills that I have already
added and used in my professional life as well as in my academic life. I am grateful that through
this internship I learned several new skills and built on my pre-existing skills as a student, skier,
and person.
One of my favorite memories was with one particular athlete. It was a blustery and cold
winter afternoon at Sugarbush, and we had just dropped into the middle section of a run called
Elbow. A fresh two inches made the skiing quite good, and he was making significant
progress. The clock struck three-thirty, and he was determined to continue his progression, so
at three fifty five, we caught the last chair to the top. With a bone-chattering wind to our back,
we discussed what he should focus on the way down to the bottom, and off we went. He did
everything perfectly, and by the time we got to the bottom, all the lifts had stopped, all the
employees were packing to go home, and the sun was going down. This didn’t stop him,
though, from asking if we could do one more, which I think shows just how hardcore all of these
athetes are and the love of the sport no matter the condtions.
I want to continue finding ways to support and teach the adaptive community how to ski.
I got so much joy seeing how much fun it was for my athletes to be out there shredding, and I
want to continue to help bring that joy. Whether that means pursuing my certifications with PSIA
or just volunteering, I don’t know, but I do know that I will continue to look for these
opportunities.
My supervisor did a great job explaining what my duties were and what she expected of
me on a given day. I think it is important for new interns, especially in the winter, to understand
that it is all not just skiing and there are managerial aspects. Also, I would have something to say
about long days in the elements. I was used to it, but for somebody new, this may be a shock.
Felicia was great to work with and was easy to approach which made the work environment fun
and easy to work in.
