Support Kelsey O'Driscoll's Journey to the Paralympics

From our first date, I knew skiing was a huge part of Kelsey’s life. She grew up skiing at Gore Mountain and surfing at the Jersey shore and per her family “has always been fast and fearless.” In 2021, she sustained a life-changing injury while we were sledding together, but it hasn't stopped her. The spinal fractures left permanent damage, but she fought her way back to her nursing career, and recovered her skiing ability to become Gore Mountain’s first adaptive Ski Patroller.

Summer of 2023 brought further medical setbacks, resulting in Kelsey having to learn to walk for the 3rd time in her 30 years. Again she didn’t let it stop her. While at an event with Vermont Adaptive this past winter (without telling any of us beforehand), she tried a short race course as an adaptive skier for the first time. A Vermont coach recorded a video of her first-ever attempt at the race course. That video made its way to the Director of the National Sports Center for the Disabled's (NSCD) race program which functions as a feeder to the US Paralympic team. Based on that one video, they swiftly extended an invite to Kelsey to train with the team in April at Winter Park, CO, where her 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and subsequent races continued to impress. This resulted in an invitation to continue training with the NSCD team in Chile this September, and in Winter Park this coming season with an eye towards joining Team USA for the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

Neither of us expected this, but we’re excited (and a little nervous) for what's to come. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Kelsey, and her dream is to make it to the 2026 Paralympics, but she needs support and financial assistance to do so. Kelsey isn’t the type to ask for help, but she needs some to make this dream come true. She is financially responsible for all the coaching fees, race entry fees, travel, and her equipment while on the feeder team. Please consider donating to help Kelsey train to make Team USA and turn her Paralympic dream into reality.