LOCAL NEWS

Waterskiing helps disabled rediscover outdoors thrill

Jul 14, 2022, 6:15 PM | Updated: Jul 15, 2022, 10:22 am

TOOELE COUNTY, Utah — Think of the most thrilling day you’ve had recently. That’s the kind of day that ten people with neurological disabilities had out behind a ski boat in Tooele County Thursday.

Two Utah physical therapy companies have teamed up for more than a dozen years to help their patients feel the thrill of life accelerated.

“Oh my gosh. I popped up. There’s no way that I just got up because I was expecting to fall,” said Taylor Cutler, right after water skiing on a custom ski for the first time.

Once she started skiing, she did not want to stop. She felt the kind of excitement that comes from letting go, trying something new, and soaking it in.

That’s why physical therapists with Mountain Land Physical Therapy and Neuroworx put on adaptive ski days at Last Chance Lakes each summer.

“It literally means the world,” Cutler said.

She was an adrenaline junkie before a car crash five years ago left her paralyzed from the chest down. When she was in the hospital recovering, she said somebody gave her a DVD with examples of adaptive sports she might want to try. At that time, she decided she definitely wanted to try adaptive water skiing.

This had been on her bucket list for several years.

“When I had my accident, a lot of my hobbies and interests changed. So having all of these adaptive sports just gives me that outlet,” she said.

It’s the kind of activity that has motivated her in other aspects of life. Cutler believes that if she can water ski, she can live life with few limitations.

“If I can pop up on the first try, I can do literally anything,” she said.

Matt Hansen, a physical therapist with Neuroworx, and Rick Lybbert, a physical therapist with Mountain Land Physical Therapy, started these adaptive ski days 14 years ago at Last Chance Lakes near Vernon.

“I’ve always been very passionate about water skiing, and I’ve always been very passionate about physical therapy,” said Lybbert. “It seemed like a good idea to put the two together.”

“Everyone that’s come out today, they’ve never skied since injury, and probably never thought that they could,” said Hansen. “So to see them get out there and thrive, and have some fun is awesome.”

For people who have lost some of their physical abilities through life-altering injuries, waterskiing offers an opportunity to enjoy the excitement of cruising behind a boat at 20 to 25 mph with water spraying in their faces.

“When you have a life-altering traumatic injury, it changes everything. It flips their lives upside down,” Hansen said. “So, to let them know that there are opportunities out there, and things to do and have fun and still thrive makes it all worth it.”

These are pictures of Michael Hawkins is getting ready for his first day out on a custom ski in Tooele County.  Michael lost some of his physical abilities when he had brain cancer two years ago. (KSL TV) Mountain Land Physical Therapy and Neuroworx have teamed up to put on ski days each summer for 14 years. (KSL TV)

Michael Hawkins went rock climbing for the first time a couple of weeks ago and decided to give adaptive water skiing a try Thursday. He had brain cancer two years ago and it robbed him of some of his physical abilities. He enjoyed baseball, snowboarding and backpacking.

“I think one disadvantage of being disabled is that you know what it’s like to feel normal. Getting it taken away, that’s hard. So getting back to it is a big deal,” he said.

He said cruising on the waterski felt like he reclaimed some of those feelings.

“It kind of felt maybe a little closer to normal day-to-day life for me,” he said.

For Hawkins, that’s the reward because he knows he might not have been alive today.

“There’s just a deep sense of gratitude to be able to come and serve this way,” Lybbert said. “I think everybody involved, the skiers, all the volunteers, it’s a great experience for all of us.”

The physical therapists share the thrills that make the patients feel so alive and they are ready for the next challenge.

“They are so inspiring, and they just remind you of how much we all have,” Lybbert said.

KSL 5 TV Live

Top Stories

Local News

A sign indicating the Seven Canyons Fountain's water has been turned off stands in front of the fou...
Carter Williams

Seven Canyons Fountain at Liberty Park to become a ‘dry’ art feature

The seven creeks that flow through the Salt Lake Valley are thriving as a result of a record-setting winter within the snowpack basin that fuels all seven of the creeks.
10 hours ago
Gwyneth Paltrow enters the courtroom for her trial, Tuesday, March 28, 2023, in Park City, Utah. Pa...
Sam Metz

Gwyneth Paltrow’s ski collision trial continues with defense

Gwyneth Paltrow’s attorneys are continuing to mount their defense about her 2016 ski collision with a 76-year-old retired optometrist who sued her years later.
10 hours ago
emergency lights...
Cassidy Wixom

2 inmates hospitalized after brawl breaks out at Utah State Prison

Two inmates are hospitalized after a fight broke out at the Utah State Correctional Facility in Salt Lake City Tuesday night.
10 hours ago
Kevin Linford (Facebook)...
Andrew Adams

Additional sex charges filed against Utah businessman; prosecutors fear more victims possible

A man accused of sexually abusing multiple women at a party in Davis County last summer now faces new charges in Salt Lake County. 
1 day ago
(Jackson Grimm/KSL TV)...
Debbie Worthen

Avalanches are bigger, more dangerous than past seasons in Utah

Utah gets hundreds of avalanches every year, but this year, those numbers are higher, and the slides themselves are becoming bigger and more dangerous.
1 day ago
...
Logan Stefanich

Alpine School District exploring potential closure of 5 elementary schools

The doors of five elementary schools in Alpine School District may be closing for good at the end of the school year due to seismic concerns.
1 day ago

Sponsored Articles

Stack of old laptops with dark background...
PC Laptops

Old Laptop Upgrades You Need to Try Before Throwing it Away

Get the most out of your investment. Try these old laptop upgrades before throwing it out to keep it running fast and efficient.
Happy diverse college or university students are having fun on their graduation day...
BYU MBA at the Marriott School of Business

How to Choose What MBA Program is Right for You: Take this Quiz Before You Apply!

Wondering what MBA program is right for you? Take this quiz before you apply to see if it will help you meet your goals.
Close up of an offset printing machine during production...
Les Olson IT

Top 7 Reasons to Add a Production Printer to Your Business

Learn about the different digital production printers and how they can help your company save time and money.
vintage photo of lighting showroom featuring chandeliers, lamps, wall lights and mirrors...
Lighting Design

History of Lighting Design | Over 25 Years of Providing Utah With the Latest Trends and Styles

Read about the history of Lighting Design, a family-owned and operated business that paved the way for the lighting industry in Utah.
Fiber Optical cables connected to an optic ports and Network cables connected to ethernet ports...
Brian Huston, CE and Anthony Perkins, BICSI

Why Every Business Needs a Structured Cabling System

A structured cabling system benefits businesses by giving you faster processing speeds and making your network more efficient and reliable.
notebook with password notes highlighted...
PC Laptops

How to Create Strong Passwords You Can Actually Remember

Learn how you can create strong passwords that are actually easy to remember! In a short time you can create new ones in seconds.
Waterskiing helps disabled rediscover outdoors thrill