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Windham athlete named to the U.S. Disabled Ski Team

The Adaptive Sports Foundation Race Team member Caitlin Sarubbi has been named to the United States Disabled Ski Team. Sarubbi has been a rising star in the disabled ski racing world, with a goal of competing in the Paralympics in Vancouver in 2010. Sarubbi is 18 years old and was born with Ablepharon Macrostomia, which affects facial features and vision. She has had over 50 reconstructive plastic surgeries. She races in the Visually Impaired category.   

Sarubbi, who is from Brooklyn, New York, started skiing when she was 11, when her family was chosen to be special guests at the Disabled Sports USA Ski Spectacular in Breckenridge, Colorado. Sarubbi’s father is a New York City fireman and was selected by Disabled Sports USA to be part of a group of New York City firemen who had children with special needs to be honored for their heroism on September 11, 2001. 



When the family returned to Brooklyn, Sarubbi’s parents realized their daughter had developed a passion for skiing. They found the Adaptive Sports Foundation at Windham Mountain and quickly signed her up for ski lessons. In a few years, Caitlin became a member of the Adaptive Sports Foundation Race Team and - under the direction of her coaches and guides - she began competing in local, regional, and national races. In addition to training with the Adaptive Sports Foundation at Windham Mountain, Sarubbi attends training camps with Challenge Aspen in Colorado.   

“Skiing has given me an opportunity to realize that despite my disabilities I still can achieve anything I want to," Caitlin said. "It has given me the confidence to aspire to things I never thought possible and believe in myself that I can achieve those goals whether they are on or off the slopes. Being named to the United States Disabled Ski Team is truly an honor and I am proud to be representing the United States and grateful for the opportunity.” 

Cherisse Young, executive director of the Adaptive Sports Foundation said, “We are extremely proud of Caitlin. To go from a beginner skier at the DS/USA Ski Spectacular to a member of the United States Disabled Ski Team in seven short years is quite an accomplishment. It is an even bigger accomplishment considering everything that Caitlin has overcome to get to this point in her life. The Adaptive Sports Foundation is honored to have Caitlin as a member of our team and we will continue to support her in her quest to achieve her goals.”   

Tim Woods, President of Windham Mountain agreed. “We are all very proud of Caitlin’s achievement on gaining a slot of the US Disabled Ski Team," he said. "Caitlin has advanced through the ASF program here at Windham Mountain ,and she now represents our nation on the world stage. What an incredible accomplishment!  Catlin’s abilities have certainly shined through and we at Windham Mountain are thrilled to have been a part of it. Go for the gold, Caitlin!” 

In addition to being a force to be reckoned with on the slopes, Sarubbi is also a force in the classroom.  She will be attending Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts in the fall as she begins her quest to become a doctor.  Sarubbi currently resides in Brooklyn, New York with her parents, John and Catherine Sarubbi and her four younger siblings. 

Kim Seevers and Caitlin Sarubbi.

The Adaptive Sports Foundation is a non profit organization located at Windham Mountain in Windham, New York.  The ASF provides over 2800 lessons annually to individuals with cognitive or physical challenges.  The ASF has 205 volunteer instructors and six full time staff members, eight of whom serve as Adaptive and Alpine educational staff members for the Professional Ski Instructors of America.  The Adaptive Sports Foundation is a member ski school of the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors, an official Red Cross Provider, a chapter of Disabled Sports USA and is recognized as the largest adaptive sport program on the east coast. The ASF is among the leading adaptive sport programs in the country.