Cassie Grenier Ski to Paralympic Gold

GO FUND ME FOR CASSIE "CASSANDRA" GRENIER

PARALYMPIAN ALPINE SKIING

As we all look forward to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina d"Ampizzo, Italy, there is another group of athletes training and paying their own way in order to work towards a spot on the Paralympic team. Skiing Paralympians carry all the costs of equipment, lift tickets, training, including the fees at the National Sports Center for the Disabled in Colorado, travel costs including flights, hotel rooms, food; and for a visually impaired athlete the costs are doubled as they also need to cover all the expenses of their race guide.

The relationship between a visually impaired athlete and their guide is built upon trust, skill, and friendship. The guide is the real hero that allows the magic to happen. Guide costs for visually impaired athletes are especially important in skiing. Cassie, a visually impaired ski racer, and her guide, Darby, are a powerful team that know how to make skiing magic happen.

The guide and athlete must wear a headset in order for Darby to let Cassie know what is up ahead of her since she has limited sight. Cassie must pay for all the equipment needed for her guide and herself including the different specific equipment needed for the sport disciplines, slalom, GS, and super G.

Cassie is responsible for her own funding, the National Olympic Committee does not pay for any of these costs. That is why this Go fund Me page is being put together for Cassie so she may continue to travel, train and most importantly race and place high enough for a place on the Paralympic Ski Team. Even racing has its own costs because of the entrance fees for the athlete and the guide.

If you don't already know Cassie "Cassandra" Grenier, let me introduce you to this extraordinary young woman:

Cassie is the 31 year old daughter, born the second child of Michael Grenier, Retired Chief Warrant Officer 4 (Army) and Diane Grenier, RN of 38 years now giving of her professional life at the VA Hospital in West Haven, CT.

Michael and Diane currently live in Rocky Hill after moving from Meridan where Cassie and her siblings grew up attending Meriden schools, Cassie then went to Springfield College. Both Cassie's parents raised her and her two brothers: William and Benjamin, to be stewards of the world around them which encouraged Cassie to graduate college with a bachelor's degree in recreation management with a concentration in Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist.

Cassie, as she is known to all who know and love her, is a daughter, sister, devoted friend, and a special education teacher in an elementary school in Fraser, Colorado and now future USA paralympian aiming for Gold in the Winter games in Italy 2026. [Cassie is unable to drive due to her vision loss so she takes the bus to work and to the local post office and can also be seen walking to the grocery store, library, and other places around town].

Life for Cassie changed in a millisecond on August 26, 2017 while hiking with her brother Will and friends in the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming. Cassie and her brother Will had been out hiking with 1 other friend at about 11,000 feet when Cassie was caught in a tallis field (rock slide) and suffered major injuries after being hit and buried by boulders and . The Teton County Search and Rescue was called and Cassie was air lifted to a local hospital but her injuries were too grave and she then had to be flown to Eastern Idaho Medical Center where Cassie had to have multiple surgeries to repair the many life threatening injuries she has sustained. Cassie broke and injured just about every part of her body, including a traumatic brain injury, broken bones, and damaged internal organs. Cassie was interviewed for a podcast about the event and it is told in great detail here: https://soundcloud.com/the_fine_line/rock-slide-in-the-tetons-episode-15

Cassie worked very hard to make a strong recovery from all her debilitating injuries. Her vision is still significantly impacted and she is visually impaired. As part of her rehabilitation to gain strength and independence she began ski racing. Cassie learned how to ski when she was 22 years old and before her accident she coached adaptive skiing for the special Olympics. Within her first year of ski racing she became the women's visually impaired national champion in slalom.

It is a miracle Cassie is still alive and it is a miracle that Cassie can ski. Cassie may have trouble seeing, but she has her sights set for being a contender at the 2026 Winter Paralympic games. With the proper support and funding the USA can be proudly represented at the 2026 Paralympic Games by this amazing woman.

Please consider donating to Cassie and help her on her journey to Italy 2026 and the Paralympian games. And please leave a message for Cassie to let her know that we are all supporting her to winning Gold medals in the Paralympics games