Our Story

Since 1984, the Adaptive Sports Foundation has been providing sports and recreation opportunities to thousands of children and adults with both cognitive and physical disabilities. Considered one of the top adaptive sports programs in the country, the ASF has been on the cutting edge of adaptive sports programming and has provided what participants have often described as “life changing experiences.”

The History of ASF

1984 The Professional Ski Instructor of America-Eastern Division established an Education Foundation corporation known as the Ski Windham Adaptive Program (SWAP), naming Gwen Allard as its executive director.  SWAP had one staff member and six volunteers.

1985 SWAP became the Disabled Ski Program at Ski Windham.

1990 The Disabled Ski Program at Ski Windham moved from their storage shed into an office in the new base lodge at Ski Windham.  In seven short years the program had grown to include three seasonal staff members and 60 volunteers who gave approximately 1,500 lessons each ski season.  

1996 The Disabled Ski Program at Ski Windham offered their first adaptive snowboard lessons.

2000 The Disabled Ski Program at Ski Windham was incorporated as the Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) and was no longer under the governance of the Professional Ski Instructors of America – Eastern Division. The ASF obtained 501(c)(3) non profit status under the Adaptive Sports Foundation name.

2001 ASF Founder and Executive Director Gwen Allard was inducted into the National Disabled Ski Hall of Fame.

2005 ASF’s Warriors in Motion program established to serve wounded United States servicemen and women.

2005 The Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center opened.

2010 Caitlin Sarubbi, member of the ASF Ski Team, was named to the United States Paralympic Team and competed in the 2010 Paralympic Winter Games in Vancouver, Canada.

2014 Staci Mannella, member of the ASF Ski Team, was named to the United States Paralympic Team and competed in the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

2014 ASF celebrates 30 years of empowering lives through adaptive sports.

2018  Staci Mannella, member of the ASF Ski Team, was named to the United States Paralympic Team and competed in the 2018 Paralympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. 

2019 ASF celebrates 35 years of empowering lives through adaptive sports.