Blind Heli-Skiers Inspire Visually Impaired to Access Outdoor Pursuits

March 31, 2023 

In a continued effort to encourange people with vision loss to take up backcountry (remote, underdeveloped rural areas) sports, blind Canadian skiers Tyson Rettie and Mark Bentz skied an incredible 25,000 vertical feet in a single day to raise money for the Braille Mountain Initiative (BMI). Founded by Rettie during the pandemic, the non-profit works to inspire blind and visually impaired people to get involved in backcountry mountain sports and create opportunities for them to do so. The funds will go towards the initiative’s winter and summer programming. 

In 2018, Rettie was guiding at Great Canadian Heli-Skiing -- located at Heather Mountain Lodge in British Columbia, it is one of the world’s most accessible heli-skiing destinations -- and training for his full guide certification. However, over the course of 18 months he lost most of the sight in both eyes due to a rare genetic condition. Refusing to give up on backcountry skiing and realizing that there were no backcountry skiing programs for the blind, he founded BMI in May 2020 to empower other blind skiers to push their abilities.

Bentz, a Paralympic gold medalist in Alpine Skiing who has been blind since he was a teenager, was one of the first skiers to join Rettie. “I’ve been wanting to figure out how to backcountry ski for 40 years. Trying things like this is crucial to show people with disabilities that a lot of what’s considered ‘impossible’ is actually possible.” 

On March 22, Great Canadian Heli-Skiing donated a day of heliskiing so that the pair could challenge themselves to ski 25,000 feet in an effort to raise $15,000 for other blind adventurers to experience outdoor sports through BMI. The organization’s mission is to enable and empower the blind and visually impaired to face, challenge and master mountain sports, eradicating a cost barrier for some who may be limited in achieving their adventure goals. 

According to Rettie, one of the largest obstacles for blind people who are interested in skiing is likely finances. A Canadian National Institute for the Blind report found that more than 70% of working-age blind or partially sighted people in Canada are unemployed. This is another thing that Rettie aims to change. He wants to give more opportunities for blind young people, and of all ages to experience skiing. 

In April, BMI will embark on its next project, taking another group of blind and visually impaired skiers on a life-changing adventure to Sorcerer Lodge in British Columbia. During the trip participants will undertake Avalanche Skills Training Level 1 to learn the essential skills for backcountry skiing. The goal of these trips is to not only create opportunities for the blind and visually impaired to challenge themselves in a demanding outdoor environment, but to also tell the story of ability and to shift the perception of what it means to be blind. 

Source: Unofficial Networks