Maine Handicapped Skiing is a Dream Maker
Maine Sunday Telegram Column by Heather Burke Jan 31, 2010

I get to ski with some cool people with this job. I have met Warren Miller in Montana, spoken with Seth Wescott, and chatted on snow with Lindsey Vonn and Bode Miller. One of my most memorable days was in March of 2008, skiing with a man who had no feet; he had lost both legs below the knee. Tim Giggey is one of the most positive and appreciative skiers I have ever encountered.

Our one run down Dream Maker that sunny day in March took time, as Tim would need to sit (in a portable chair carried by one of his Maine Handicapped Ski guides) and rest, taking weight off his titanium rod prosthetic ski feet. But he always admired the view and talked about how good it was to be skiing. I was amazed to watch this man’s determination, balancing on two narrow medal rods clamped into skis.

Two seasons later Tim contacted me to tell me he skied more days than me last winter and he had won Bronze in a ski race at Sunapee, I was amazed once again.

“Last year I was on the hill over 50 days. I lost 30 pounds and lost the chair too,” said Tim Giggey. “Now I can ski any trail at Sunday River and make it back to the chairlift, and I can get up from a fall by myself.”

In 1995, Tim’s wife Maryanne Giggey was told her husband had a 1% chance of survival. Tim faced bilateral amputation below the knees following a medically induced coma to stave off infection. His long road to recovery was inspired by a dream of skiing again, a sport he had learned at age four and continued as a racer at University of Maine at Farmington. “After the amputation, I started dreaming vividly of skiing again,” said Tim, “but then I’d wake up and realize it was a dream.”

Tim has made that dream a reality. After relearning to walk with prosthetics, and then ski in 2008, he joined the M.H.S. race team last season and competed in three races, winning a Bronze medal in a Level One Diane Golden GS Race. Giggey said, “In the first season I got my mojo and I recognized I could do more than just ski recreationally.”

Eric Topper, Director of Outreach at M.H.S., said, “Tim's progression as a skier the last few years illustrates the whole continuum of what is possible when resorts and sponsors support adaptive recreation programs like M.H.S.”

Tim travelled to Breckenridge this December for a disabled race camp and competed in GS at Copper. “I am finding the disabled ski arena is very competitive with international teams,” said Giggey. “It blows me away how good these guys are from around the world.”

Just last weekend Tim won a Silver medal in New Hampshire. Tim’s wife Maryanne said, “Tim told me that the people at the Gunstock race were in such awe of him. It's funny; he's always surprised when people say things like that to him. I live with him and see all that he must overcome, and he still amazes me.”

Tim travels to Telluride this week with eight disabled racers, most from Sunday River’s program, to compete in Slalom, GS, Combined and Downhill. “My goal for Telluride is to race well, but I also want to ski some powder in Revelation Bowl,” Giggey said.

“My mentor Tony Lawless and my ski coach Peter Sargent have been great. They are both single below the knee amputees, so I joke that at least they have one good leg to stand on.”

Tim has come a long way since his tenth day I skied with him on Dream maker. He is no longer just an M.H.S. participant; he has become a volunteer at MHS. “Last year I was able to help two gentlemen in their 70’s who had suffered mild strokes. I was their ski guide, and it was a great experience for me,” said Giggey. Tim is also training to be a blind guide, and hopes to help with M.H.S.’s Veterans No Boundaries program.

Topper at M.H.S. said, “Tim’s commitment to the training and time needed to become an instructor shows his investment in giving back by assisting others with disabilities.”

Judy Sullivan, M.H.S. Program Director, said, “Tim has made a lasting impression on MHS, first as a participant with such enthusiasm for what he was getting back into and then after accomplishing so much the natural progression was to become a volunteer to show others that anything is possible.”

Giggey said, “I tell people that if you think you can, you can. You need to visualize yourself doing it.”

In fact Giggey is now visualizing a new invention. “My ski feet are fine for recreational skiing, but they don’t work as well for tucking or skate skiing in racing. So I am working on a new ski foot. I contacted Freedom Innovation, the company that makes ski prosthetics, and they are receptive. This technology could help others like our junior adaptive alpine champion Alex Tomaszewski (Wells, Maine) with his artificial leg,” said Giggey.

“I am so grateful for my involvement with Maine Handicapped Skiing. Life is good,” said Giggey, important words from a man who almost lost his life, and lost both feet in 1995.

Maine Handicapped Skiing has been making dreams like Tim’s come true since 1982 when the non-profit organization was started by orthopedic surgeon Dr. Omar (Chip) Crothers and Leslie B. Otten. M.H.S. now involves 390 volunteers providing 3,700 lessons each year to more than 300 students with various physical challenges, always free of charge. MHS’s annual fundraiser, the Ski A Thom - now in its 25th year, takes place March 27, Tim will be there racing and fundraising.

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