Jack with his fellow winter interns 2023
For a man who served as a paratrooper in the British army, worked in a number of private security roles, bodyguarding the rich and famous, taught anti-poaching to rangers in Malawi, protected boats from piracy, and worked in disaster response and animal rescue for the Humane Society in locations around the world, his most rewarding experience he says, is the BOEC winter internship! This incredible individual, and part of the BOEC family, is Jack Finn-Kelcey from Kent in the United Kingdom.
Jack was in the British army for six years and served in multiple deployments during that time. He was a paratrooper throughout his army tenure and was among a high-achieving few who passed the intense training needed to serve in this challenging role. This dangerous and yet exhilarating lifestyle is not unusual amongst his fellow service members and aligns with his mindset to seek out-of-the-ordinary challenges and adventures.
Jack serving as paratrooper in the British army
Like many military service members, he struggled with day-to-day life after completing his military service. At a particularly low point in his life, he was put in contact with The Not Forgotten, a veteran-centric service charity serving the UK, featured in last month’s BOEC Inspirations newsletter. As part of The Not Forgotten, he was invited to travel to the United States with other veterans in the group, and try skiing in Breckenridge, Colorado. Having skied once before in Austria and enjoying it, he agreed to join the veteran skiing trip with the BOEC. He recounts the experience saying,
“I found it quite intimidating at first and felt that I didn’t deserve to be there compared to others, but everyone was so welcoming and it was truly life changing. The staff and instructors knew exactly how to deal with us and helped so much to get us skiing. It was inspiring to see how much of a difference they made to people. I couldn’t think of anything I wanted to do more, so I asked them if there was any way that I could return.”
Volunteer Arran McKelvie, Logan Galloway, and Jack Finn-Kelcey
The experience of coming to Breckenridge with The Not Forgotten and fellow veterans to ski with BOEC had such a profound impact, that Jack returned a mere eight months later, this time joining the class of 15 interns who dedicate 6 months to learning about adaptive skiing and working with people with disabilities. When asked about what his experience has been like returning as an intern with BOEC he responded, “It has been an amazing experience. Every day is different, and it has been great learning how to teach different techniques to all sorts of people with different disabilities.” Since he first came to ski in Breckenridge with the BOEC Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program as a participant, he has a unique perspective and approach as an instructor.
Jack shares his favorite BOEC memory of the season,
“For me, it was having The Not Forgotten come back, and being on the other side this time teaching them. I could absolutely relate to all of them from start to finish as I sat where they were only a year ago. Being able to watch some of them go from never skiing to shredding down black runs in a week and for their staff to be able to see how much progress I had made in that time was just incredible.”
A particular student from amongst The Not Forgotten really resonated as he had a similar mindset to Jack’s a year earlier. The initial nervousness, stress, and frustration almost were enough for him to give up trying to learn to ski. By the end of the trip, however, with perseverance and encouragement from BOEC, the experience of skiing, to him, was exciting and life changing.
Jack giving water to a cow while working with the Humane Society
Jack explains his favorite part of teaching adaptive skiing,
“Seeing the happiness it brings people and knowing it genuinely changes peoples lives. Having been a participant, I can relate to that and can empathize with the mixed range of emotions that learning to ski brings.”
The peaceful nature of the work also resonates with him given the dangerous nature of his past work.
When asked what skiing adds to his life, Jack shares how learning to ski well has been rewarding in numerous ways including by giving him the ability to help others learn to ski, through the “living in the moment” mindset one may adopt while skiing, the beauty one experiences, the fitness aspect, and the ability to focus so much on this new skill instead of ruminating on one’s thoughts. From his military training, Jack has a hyper-vigilance and spatial awareness that helps his instruction and ensure the safety of his students.
Due to his past military service, he connects well with other veterans and is attuned to the mindsets they may have, bringing more of an ease to instructing these individuals. He also relates to veterans who may be triggered by avalanche bombing that the average person would ignore. As a result, Jack was selected to join the BOEC team members who recently traveled to Snowmass, Colorado to help with the annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.
The Director of the BOEC Adaptive Ski & Ride Program, Jeff Inouye sums it up this way,
“Jack truly embraces what the BOEC is all about. While being introduced to the BOEC as a participant in the ski program, he experienced the impact that we can make on both our students and their families. He then returned to us as a winter intern to teach skiing to other people with disabilities and special needs and help them feel the enjoyment and empowerment that he did. Jack’s experience of being a participant and a military member, allow him to bring a unique skill set in working with the many individuals and groups involved in our veterans programs. Jack has been a wonderful addition to our team and we hope he continues to be a part of our ski program for years to come!”
Jack skiing on a beautiful, sunny day in Colorado
Jack is no stranger to hard work, he notes that training and working hard is normal for those in the military. Of his work with the BOEC, he states, “It is hard work, physically and mentally, but it’s great to be part of such a hard working team who put the students first on a daily basis.” He enjoys working with young students and appreciates how much their progress means to their parents. Jack has also taken the opportunity to learn new adaptive teaching skills seriously. He is working on PSIA accreditations beyond the basic requirements with an interest, currently, in learning to teach vision impaired skiers and specializing in sit ski qualifications.
Although different ages and from different cultures, he has enjoyed learning and growing with his fellow interns over the course of the winter season. Jack says this to anyone considering the BOEC Internship program,
“I would recommend the internship to anyone, it is hard work but it is the most rewarding experience I have ever had. And having spent my life traveling the world doing jobs some people would consider very glamorous, this is by far the best.”
Jack and a rescued dachshund while working in disaster response and animal rescue with the Humane Society
While his summer plans are still a bit uncertain, Jack is considering continuing to teach adaptive skiing in New Zealand giving him a never-ending winter. Next winter, he plans to return to Breckenridge to continue teaching adaptive skiing with the BOEC. He has found his passion in dedicating himself to a career in adaptive skiing and this is inspiring to us all.
Applications for BOEC summer 2023 internships are accepted until April 15th!
To learn more about winter or summer internships please visit https://boec.org/internships/.
