[nfbmi-talk] Jordyn Article: Thanks Nadia

[Fred Wurtzel]

Blind MSU student skis against the odds

By:

Amanda Chodnicki, Michigan State University

March 23, 2015 2:48 pm

For spring break, Jordyn Castor, a Michigan State University computer
science senior,

went skiing at

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort

in Wyoming. That may sound like an average spring break, but there's a
kicker -

she's blind.

"I think a lot of people think, 'Oh, you're blind. I don't think it's
possible for

you to ski.'" Castor says. "But I just have such a sense of adventure and I
love

showing people that a disability doesn't have to hold you back."

Castor says she skied for the first time at eight years old with a group
called the

Michigan Parents of Children with Visual Impairments

. She says they went skiing at Challenge Mountain, a recreational facility
that is

dedicated to teaching adaptive sports to people with disabilities.

"When I skied at Challenge Mountain that first time, I actually came back
two or

three more times that winter because I loved it so much," Castor says.

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Since then, Castor's love for the sport has only grown, as she has skied all
over

Michigan, as well as Colorado and Wyoming.

"Eventually, I decided to join the ski club," Castor says. " I was a little
bit hesitant

about it at first because I was like, 'Oh my goodness. I'm blind. I don't
know what

they're going to think.'"

She says all of the ski club officers and its members were so welcoming,
which made

her even more excited about attending the four-day spring break trip to
Jackson Hole.

"The blue hills [in Wyoming] are actually black diamonds in Michigan, so the
black

diamonds are the hardest terrain you can ski," Castor says. "And I actually
skied

a 3,000-foot blue hill there."

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Not only did Castor ski a blue run, but she was able to ski "by herself,"
meaning

her guide didn't have to call out her turns.

"It just gives you such a sense of accomplishment," Castor says.

Feeling accomplished after skiing a blue run at Jackson Hole, MSU senior
Jordyn Castor

poses for a picture. (Jordyn Castor)

Feeling accomplished after skiing a blue run at Jackson Hole, MSU senior
Jordyn Castor

poses for a picture. (Jordyn Castor)

Beyond feeling accomplished, she says skiing brings her many other feelings
and sensations

that she absolutely loves.

"I might not be able to see where I'm going, but I can feel the snow gliding
under

my skis," Castor says. "I can feel the way the snow changes. I can feel the
wind

in my face, the thrill of going really fast going down the mountain."

Castor says she wants others with disabilities to take advantage of the
resources

out there and be able to experience these same feelings as her.

"No matter your disability, no matter your circumstance, if there's a will,
there's

a way," Castor says. "If you set your mind to doing something, you can
achieve anything

you want."

Amanda Chodnicki

is a student at Michigan State University and a spring 2015 USA TODAY
Collegiate

Correspondent.