ABOUT
CHALLENGED ATHLETES OF WV
MISSION
Challenged Athletes of West Virginia (CAWV) has been providing adaptive sports opportunities to children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities since 1996. From humble beginnings, we have grown to become a leader in the Mid-Atlantic Region.
CAWV provides equipment and instruction for adaptive alpine skiing and snowboarding, education and training opportunities for professional and volunteer staff, plus equipment and support for handcycling, adaptive bicycling, whitewater rafting, camping and other outdoor opportunities.
LOCATION
CAWV is a 501-C-3 non-profit organization and a chapter of Disabled Sports USA. Our headquarters and offices are located atop Cheat Mountain, at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, in the beautiful Allegheny Highlands of Pocahontas County, West Virginia. (Less than a day’s travel from the major population centers of the Mid-Atlantic.)
PARTICIPANTS & VOLUNTEERS
Our participants range in age from four years old to senior citizens; some have been living with their challenges since birth; others are accident survivors or are dealing with the onset of disease later in life. They all come facing challenge and uncertainty and leave knowing, “If I can do this, I can do anything.”
Our volunteer and professional staff also comes from diverse background, including, physical and occupational therapists, recreation therapists, teachers, nurses, and many other professions.
The common thread among this group is that they take so much more away from the program than they contribute and genuinely love the opportunity to touch the lives of our students and their families.
HISTORY
Incorporated in 1996, CAWV has always been dedicated to its mission: “To improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities through outdoor sports and recreation.”
Under the leadership of David “Uncle Dave” Begg, CAWV gained regional and national recognition in its early years, expanding from its home base at Snowsoe to incorporate programs at both Canaan Valley and Timberline Resorts in West Virginia.
In 2005, thanks to the generous support of donors and community partners, our fully-equipped Adaptive Sports Center opened slopeside at Snowshoe’s Silver Creek Resort, welcoming students from across the globe to our new “home.”
2018 proved to be another cornerstone year in CAWV’s history as we lost our long-serving Executive Director. With sadness, we accepted that Dave Begg’s untimely death marked the end of an era for CAWV. Our program now carries on into its next phase of growth under the leadership of Executive Director Carol Woody, who joined CAWV in late 2018.
Carol has been a resident of the Snowshoe area since 1996, when she moved from Tennessee with her husband, Spence, to live and work for Snowshoe during what they thought would be one winter season. But they fell in love with these mountains, for the climate, scenery, outdoor lifestyle, and – most of all – for the people. Carol and Spence, along with their now teenage daughter, McKenna, have made Snowshoe their true home. Carol has worked in many roles around the Mountain, but especially enjoyed the time she spent with Challenged Athletes and the Adaptive Sports School. She is now excited to be working with the program full-time, while also being humbled to take on the CAWV leadership role after her friend, the late Dave Begg.
Check out some of our activities, including our students in action on the slopes.
