All Seasons, All Abilities
How Maine Adaptive is opening the outdoors to everyone
words by connor clement
photography courtesy of maine adaptive
On a bright winter morning at Sunday River, adaptive skis carve easy, confident lines down the slopes. Around them, the mountain feels alive—skis and snowboards gliding by, laughter drifting through the cold air. Mixed into the crowd are athletes who might not otherwise be here: people with physical, cognitive, and visual disabilities getting their chance to experience the freedom of winter sports.
For more than four decades, Maine Adaptive has been helping make moments like this happen, opening the outdoors to people of all abilities and proving that these experiences are meant to be shared, in every season.
Founded in 1982, Maine Adaptive is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing year-round adaptive sports and recreation opportunities across the state. What began as a winter-focused program has grown into a four-season operation that offers everything from skiing and snowboarding to mountain biking, paddling, pickleball, and indoor climbing. The organization’s mission is simple but powerful: to give people with disabilities access to sports and outdoor experiences that might otherwise be out of reach.
“Maine Adaptive offers people access to things like skiing that they may otherwise not have,” said Mary Scanlon, the organization’s communications coordinator. “That access changes lives.”
In its early years, Maine Adaptive focused primarily on alpine and Nordic skiing, adapting equipment and instruction to meet a wide range of needs. Over time, as interest grew and the community expanded, so did the organization’s vision. About a decade ago, Maine Adaptive formally expanded its programming beyond winter, opening the door to summer and fall activities that keep athletes moving all year long.
Today, participants can be found mountain biking on Maine’s rugged trails, paddling on lakes and rivers, scaling indoor climbing walls, or rallying on pickleball courts—one of the organization’s fastest-growing offerings.
Court sports have become especially popular, Scanlon noted, because they combine physical activity with social connection, something many athletes value just as much as the sport itself.Still, Winter remains a cornerstone of the program. Maine Adaptive offers skiing and snowboarding at three of the state’s major mountains: Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Pleasant Mountain. These long-standing partnerships are crucial to the nonprofit’s success.
“We couldn’t do it without their partnerships,” Scanlon says. “They are our biggest supporters.”
Sunday River holds a special place in Maine Adaptive’s story. The organization has its own on-mountain ski lodge there, a home base where athletes gear up, instructors train, and families gather. The lodge isn’t just a logistical hub—it’s a symbol of belonging, a place where adaptive athletes are fully integrated into the mountain experience.
For Scanlon, who has seen the program from behind the scenes and out in the field, the most rewarding moments happen when she’s watching participants do what once felt impossible.
“Being out there, in the summer or wintertime, and seeing the families and the students out there skiing or riding their bikes,” she says, “knowing that they wouldn’t be there without us—and how happy and how grateful they are to have the opportunity to be a part of these sports.”
That sense of gratitude flows both ways. Maine Adaptive relies heavily on trained volunteers who serve as instructors, guides, and companions. Many say the experience of helping someone reach the top of a trail or the bottom of a ski run is as meaningful for them as it is for the athlete.
One of those athletes is Daisy Rausch, who moved from Ohio to Maine nearly two years ago. She got involved with Maine Adaptive just over a year ago through a friend, not long after a life-altering hockey accident in 2021 left her with a progressive neurological disorder and forced her into a wheelchair.
Before her injury, Daisy had been active, but skiing had never been part of her life. Through Maine Adaptive, she tried it for the first time—and quickly fell in love. Now, she participates in nearly every sport the organization offers.
“My favorite thing about Maine Adaptive is getting to do things that I wouldn’t otherwise see myself doing,” Daisy says. “There’s also a large community involved, so becoming part of Maine Adaptive is actually like becoming part of a new family.”
For Daisy, the impact went far beyond learning new sports. It reshaped how she saw herself and what she believed was possible.
“It’s been life-changing,” she says. “Doing more, realizing I am capable of more. Before I found Maine Adaptive, I was spending my entire summer inside, just sitting around doing nothing. Seeing these other people do stuff has pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I’ve actually found more things to do.”
Her journey didn’t stop at participation. Daisy has since become a volunteer, giving back to the community that helped her rediscover independence and joy.
“Anyone in the disabled community is super gracious to be able to do this stuff,” she says. “Not only can people have fun, but you can have fun with them.”
Now, she encourages other disabled Mainers to take the leap she once did—to show up, try something new, and see where it leads.
Programs like Maine Adaptive don’t run on passion alone. Funding is critical, and the organization’s largest source of support comes from its biggest annual event: the Maine Adaptive Ski-A-Thon, held each March at Sunday River.
The Ski-A-Thon is more than a fundraiser—it’s a celebration. Participants spend the day skiing and riding while raising pledges, with teams, families, and supporters cheering them on. Games, festivities, and a lively gathering at the Sunday River Brew Pub round out the event, where awards are given to top fundraisers and students and volunteers are recognized for their contributions.
“If we didn’t have the Ski-A-Thon, we wouldn’t be able to exist,” Scanlon says.
Last year, more than 200 fundraisers helped raise over $300,000 for the program, a figure the nonprofit is hoping to match or top this year. Those funds go directly toward equipment, instruction, training, and access—ensuring that cost is never a barrier for someone who wants to participate.
In 2025, Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation opened a new chapter at the former Hurricane Island Outward Bound School campus, creating a year-round home base near Sunday River. The expansive inland property (not to be confused with the Hurricane Island in Penobscot Bay) offers space for trails, lodging, offices, and adaptive equipment storage. Both organizations have deep roots in Maine and a long-standing dedication to helping individuals discover strength, confidence, and community through adventure and challenge.
“For more than 40 years, the Newry basecamp served as a launching point for life-changing experiences through Outward Bound,” says Eric Denny, Executive Director of Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. “We’re proud that this incredible place will continue to inspire and empower people through Maine Adaptive’s exceptional programs. The work they do to make the outdoors accessible for people of all abilities is truly remarkable, and we’re honored to play a part in this next chapter of the base’s legacy.”
“Seeing these other people do stuff has pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I’ve actually found more things to do.”
At its core, Maine Adaptive is about far more than athletics. It’s about dignity, confidence, and community. It’s about families watching their loved ones thrive, volunteers finding purpose, and athletes discovering strength they didn’t know they had.
In a state defined by its seasons and its rugged outdoors, Maine Adaptive ensures that those experiences aren’t reserved for a select few. Whether it’s the quiet glide of Nordic skis through fresh snow, the thrill of a downhill run, or the satisfaction of reaching the end of a bike trail, the organization is creating moments that last long after the gear is packed away.
For Daisy and hundreds of others, those moments are transformative.
And as Maine Adaptive looks ahead—toward another winter, another summer, another Ski-A-Thon—it does so with the same belief that has guided it since 1982: everyone deserves the chance to play, to move, and to belong.
For more info on Maine Adaptive and Ski-A-Thon, visit maineadaptive.org
