Beyond the Paralympics: Inclusion on a Saskatchewan ski slope

Inside the chalet at Table Mountain Regional Park, a group of schoolkids stomped in from the cold.

Helmets clattered onto tables. Goggles came off. Snow pants rustled as students from Holliston School peeled off layers after a morning on the hill.

Jac Cashin settled into a chair beside his dad, Francis, warming up between runs.

Read more Saskatchewan Stories from Brittany Caffet:

• The ‘giraffe’ of the orchestra: Meet Saskatoon’s bassoon soloist
• Neighbours helping neighbours: 50 years of TeleMiracle in Saskatchewan
• Down to Wrestle: U of S Huskies celebrate inclusion on the mat

The 11-year-old had been out braving the slopes alongside his classmates. It’s his fourth season on skis.

Asked who he usually skis with, Jac answered quickly.

“Mom and Dad and Blair!”

Then, with admirable confidence, he added something else: “I is faster.”

Cashin navigates the slopes at Table Mountain Regional Park with confidence. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

This winter, elite athletes with disabilities are competing at the Paralympic Games in Italy, a stage built on the idea that sport should be open to everyone.

But the same idea plays out in quieter places too: school gyms, community rinks and ski hills, like this one outside North Battleford.

From Jac’s point of view, skiing isn’t about medals or podiums.

It’s about being on the hill with everyone else.

Listen to Brittany Caffet on Behind the Headlines:

When asked to go down the bunny hill one time, Jac scoffed. He much prefers taking the chair lift to take on the larger runs. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

For Francis Cashin, skiing has always been about family.

“As a kid, I had these memories of going skiing with my parents, specifically my father,” he said.

When Jac was younger, his mom and dad decided they wanted him to have those same experiences.

Jac has Down syndrome, which can affect muscle tone, coordination and sensory processing.

His family knew skiing might come with extra hurdles, so they started small.

“We were kind of just up and down the bunny hill those first couple of years,” Francis said.

Francis and Jac Cashin make a dynamic duo on the ski hill, Jac zooming ahead and Francis proudly following behind his son. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Getting to this point — Jac skiing confidently on a school field trip — took time.

“It’s taken a lot of consistency, a lot of effort, a lot of willingness on Jac’s part to stick with it so he can ski as successfully as he did today,” he said proudly.

Skiing demands a lot physically, especially for a child with lower muscle tone.

“The movement of manipulating the skis to go to that pizza position to stop, to move side to side takes a lot of strength and a lot of coordination,” Francis explained.

“It’s very physically draining for him. He can tolerate two, maybe three runs at a time and then we’ve got to take a nice little break.”

“Pizza is slower,” Cashin explained, describing the snowplow technique used to slow down, stop or turn with stability on skis. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

At school, Jac approaches sports the same way he approaches skiing — enthusiastically.

“Jac’s an athlete,” said Dallas Hymers, the K-8 phys-ed teacher at Holliston School. “He’s into everything we do. There’s nothing he says no to.”

That attitude carries over to days like this one at Table Mountain.

“He’s super athletic, he’s got a great attitude and it’s great for him to be able to show what he can do in the gym, at the ski hill,” Hymers said. “The kids love having him around. He’s a blast to have around.”

Jac Cashin is an athlete in every sense of the word. He is competitive, determined and always willing to challenge himself. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

During his warm-up break in the chalet, Jac laid out the basics of skiing.

“Ski pants, coat, toque, mitts, skis,” he said when asked what you need before heading out onto the hill.

Then he described how you control your speed.

“The fries is fast,” he explained. “Pizza is slower.”

It’s the language beginner skiers use to describe the snowplow — the wedge that helps them slow down and stop.

Forget the bunny hill, this kid loves the thrill of speed! (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

The skills took time to for Jac to master. But after four seasons on skis, he’s comfortably making his way down the hill. And there are still bigger goals ahead for this young athlete.

“One of the bigger goals is to eventually get into the mountains,” Francis said. “And really have that long ski, that 30 minutes of tolerance.”

For now, the family focuses on what Jac can do today — and that list keeps getting longer.

“I think a lot of times, we underestimate Jac and what his capabilities are,” Francis said. “As much as we are very strong advocates, Jac is a very strong self-advocate.”

Jac Cashin, 11, has been skiing for four years. He has Down syndrome, but doesn’t let his disability slow him down. He’ll proudly tell you that he is faster than Sonic, one of his favourite cartoon characters. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Sufficiently warmed, Jac pulled his helmet back on and headed for the chair lift — ready for another run.

And if you ask him, he’ll tell you exactly how fast he plans to go.

“Sonic!”

Francis explained that teaching Jac to ski wasn’t without its challenges, but the experiences they have had as a family have made all of the hard work worth it. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)

Read more Saskatchewan Stories from Brittany Caffet:

• The ‘giraffe’ of the orchestra: Meet Saskatoon’s bassoon soloist
• Neighbours helping neighbours: 50 years of TeleMiracle in Saskatchewan
• Down to Wrestle: U of S Huskies celebrate inclusion on the mat