Kristen (middle left) graduating from the BOEC Winter Intern Program
Kristen Van Loo is a sister, daughter, aunt, avid reader, outdoor enthusiast, and passionate advocate of the adaptive community she belongs to and hopes to permanently work for. Today, that drive fuels her work at the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center where her lived experience became her greatest strength as an intern and instructor. But her story is not just about discovering the BOEC, it’s about breaking barriers and dreaming bigger at every step of her journey.
Before she could take her first breath, her fate seemed to be decided – with a level four brain bleed, right sided hemiplegia from Cerebral Palsy and receptive aphasia; a bright independent future seemed, in a medical sense, nothing but a hopeless dream. Doctor after doctor told her family that she would be highly dependent, and would not be able to speak and walk. But this did not deter Kristen and her family from making the most of the life she was given. On a daily basis, she and her mother would begin the tedious work of her physical and occupational therapy. She was encouraged to do things in ways that made sense to her, to adapt, find new ways to do things, and to forge her own path.
Kristen’s family is perfectly designed for her. Each member had their significant role in nurturing her enthusiasm for the outdoors. Whether it was family trips to hike the trails of many National Parks, or exploring the creek that ran through the canal outside her backyard, her siblings never put barriers on her. She was always trying to keep up with them. By doing so, she grew in ways that most others would have believed impossible.
As she received her high school diploma this raised the question, “Have I reached the unbreakable ceiling?”
However, just when Kristen thought she had reached her full potential – she discovered the world of adaptive sports and realized she was just at the beginning. Her introduction came through her brother, who volunteered at the Adaptive Sports Center (ASC) in Crested Butte, Colorado. For much of her life, her abilities were often questioned, but at ASC, the focus wasn’t on whether she could do something, but how to make it possible. For the first time outside of her family, she felt seen and never underestimated. She discovered that snowboarding, at its core, is all about balance and despite her ongoing struggles with balance, she could challenge her limits and still master the sport. As she improved, she celebrated each milestone with the instructors who supported her every step of the way.
There was never a ceiling to what she could do. Adaptive sports opened life up for her in a way that she had never experienced before.
Then, Kristen began to see herself in a new light—and with that came a new dream: to one day work for the Adaptive Sports Center. She had accomplished something that once felt impossible—balancing her center of gravity. This personal breakthrough gave her the courage to challenge another long-standing narrative: that she wouldn’t succeed in college due to the lack of accommodations for her needs. But with the confidence gained through adaptive sports, she pushed through that barrier and, in 2023, graduated from Western Colorado University with her bachelor’s degree. Shortly after, Kristen landed an internship at ASC where she stepped into the role of empowering others. She witnessed participants rediscover their abilities and embrace moments of freedom and strength, and that experience deeply inspired her.
Her sister, Lauren had built her identity around her physical abilities until a fall resulting in a spinal cord injury changed everything. Kristen watched as the person she admired began to lose herself in the aftermath, shaped not by who she was, but by how others now saw her: through the lens of her wheelchair. Kristen understood how deeply her sister longed for connection and encouraged her to seek out a community in the adaptive world. It wasn’t until Lauren found herself monoskiing at the BOEC that she truly felt at home and began to reconnect with herself.
After completing her internship with ASC and receiving encouragement from her family, Kristen applied for the 2024–2025 winter internship at BOEC. Her experience at BOEC has been exactly the positive change she was looking for.
Kristen (left) on a lesson at BOEC with her sister, Lauren.
When asked in the interview what her dream job would be, she replied: “Honestly, I don’t think the role exists.”
Kristen firmly believes she’s meant to work in the adaptive sports industry. She’s driven by a desire to share in the journey of discovering what’s possible. Her perspective as both a participant and now an instructor has deepened her appreciation for the unique bond between instructor and participant. It wasn’t until she donned the BOEC green instructor jacket and picked up her skis and outriggers that she noticed a shift, not just in herself, but in the participant she was with. In that moment, she realized she didn’t just sympathize, she truly empathized with her student. That connection allowed her to empower others to push beyond the limits that had been placed on them.
Kristen at BOEC Intern training early this winter.
Kristen’s experience in being a part of someone’s journey in adaptive outdoor recreation as a friend and a supportive teacher healed multiple versions of herself. Whether it was a six year old that just wanted to be goofy or a high schooler tired of judgement, Kristen saw versions of herself in the participants she worked with. In tribute to the siblings that did the same for her, she cultivated a space for each participant to just be themselves. She recognizes the gaps in the industry and is committed to amplifying participants’ voices by ensuring their strength, not their disability, leads the conversation. She continues to highlight the powerful connection between instructors and participants in adaptive sports, where the real magic happens.
She is forging her own path.
