TRUCKEE, Calif. – Feb. 16, 2012 – This weekend, MakeAHero.org and Northstar California™ Resort in North Lake Tahoe are partnering to introduce wrestling phenom Anthony Robles to snow for the very first time. Accompanied by his family, Robles will have his first experience on snow at Northstar, learning to ski from local adaptive sports instructor, Bill Bowness.
“Anthony has never let anything slow him down, so when he expressed interest in learning to ski, we wanted to help him achieve his next goal,” said Kurt Miller of MakeAHero.org. “We have teamed up with Northstar as Anthony wanted to learn to ski at the place where some of the best in the world come to train. Northstar is the ideal location to learn, and we’ve also partnered with local adaptive sports instructor, Bill Bowness, to get Anthony on the snow for the very first time.”
Born with just one leg, Robles, 23, went on to win the 2010-11 NCAA individual wrestling championship (against all able-bodied competitors) in the 125-pound weight class. Robles is a two time ESPY award winner, an inductee to the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, and the exclusive motivational speaker for the Washington Speakers Bureau.
“I’ve always wanted to learn to ski. When this opportunity arose, I didn’t want to pass it up. Being trained by the best, at the best ski resort, is something I’m really excited about,” said Robles.
Bowness, also an adaptive skier, was awarded the first-ever adaptive slot on the PSIA Alpine Team in 2004, promptly earning the respect of fellow team members for his ability to instruct able-bodied alpine skiers of all levels just as well as adaptive skiers. Bowness is a silver and bronze medal-winning Paralympic athlete and the current technical director at Disabled Sports-Far West.
MakeAHero.org camera crews will document Robles’ experience on snow this weekend, creating a web video to share with people around the world. Raising awareness and funds in support of sports opportunities for people with disabilities is at the heart of MakeAHero.org's mission. The organization's 40-minute documentary, The Movement, is currently touring the country with more than eight scheduled film festival appearances. "We're sharing amazing stories like Anthony's," said Miller, "and we're working to make a positive impact on the lives of real people everyday."
In the January Sundance Film Festival premiere of The Movement, MakeAHero.org featured 24-year-old wounded Army veteran, Jesse Murphree. In just three days of instruction, Murphree was carving fast turns down the mountain with his best friend and childhood snowboarding buddy rushing to keep up. Murphree joined other athletes featured in The Movement—including world-record holders, Paralympic medalists, and everyday heroes—on the Sundance red carpet.
For more information, visit www.MakeAHero.org.
About MakeAHero.org
This organization is dedicated to creating national momentum for local adaptive sports organizations. We bring together filmmakers, entertainers, sports industry executives, local partners, and volunteers to support the hard-working local groups who are getting disabled individuals back in motion. We believe in sharing the freedom of sport that has enriched our own lives. Learn more at MakeAHero.org
About The Movement
This critically-acclaimed 40-minute documentary is the story of one man, Rick, who faces his fears to recapture a freedom he thought he had lost. On his journey, others join him to provide their own stories of inspiration and encouragement. The subject is physical disability. The setting is the high mountains. And the characters exemplify the types of everyday heroes that are all around us. To date, The Movement: One Man Joins an Uprising has been selected for Sundance and seven other international film festivals. Learn more at TheMovementFilm.org
About Northstar California Resort
One of the finest year-round mountain resorts in North America, Northstar is host to a base area village featuring unique shops and restaurants, a conference center, 9,000 square foot outdoor skating rink, movie theaters, on-site lodging, special events and more. A winter sport enthusiast’s paradise, Northstar offers 97 ski trails spread across 3,170 acres, award-winning terrain parks and snow sports including alpine and Telemark skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing. Summer activities include mountain biking, golfing, scenic lift rides for sightseeing and hiking, horseback riding, fly-fishing and more.
Northstar is located on Highway 267, just six miles north of Lake Tahoe and six miles south of downtown Truckee. For more information, call 1.800.GO.NORTH (1.800.466.6784) or visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, and the Heavenly Ski Resort and Northstar California in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort property and hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.
Contact(s)
Kurt Miller
MakeAHero.org
(303) 818-7901
kurt@makeahero.org
Jessica VanPernis
Northstar California Resort
(530) 562-3866
jvanpernis@vailresorts.com