From March 2-6, the Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center hosted the inaugural She Shreds Adaptive Snowsports Camp. This five-day skills camp was designed for women across all adaptive snow sport disciplines to share the slopes, learn, and grow together. The result was even better than we could have hoped. The week consisted of alpine skiers, snowboarders, and sit skiers from across the country, unified by the thrill of the sport and the joy of tutus and glitter.
Building Confidence Through Adaptive Ski Instruction
She Shreds wasn’t just about getting out on snow; it was about purposeful growth. Each day was built around a specific theme, moving participants from the foundations of turn shape, terrain management, and speed control to applying those skills on more challenging terrain, making independent decisions, and ultimately leading their own terrain choices on a final free-ski day.
Each participant was paired with a primary instructor for continuity throughout the week, and the group skied and rode together across coordinated terrain zones whenever possible, keeping the experience connected across disciplines without sacrificing safety or appropriate progression.
Creating Community for Women in Adaptive Snowsports
The camp explored all over Breckenridge Ski Resort, giving participants the chance to apply their developing skills across a wide array of terrain. Evenings brought the group back together at The Scott Griffith Lodge for shared dinners and the kind of connection that only comes from a week of shared challenge and shared triumph. One especially meaningful evening unfolded under a full moon when participants took part in a symbolic release activity where they wrote down things they were ready to let go of and sent them off together in a moment of catharsis.
Women came to She Shreds with different backgrounds, disciplines, and goals. Volunteer Instructor Jane Barber, who also led an adaptive yoga session during the week, reflected on what she witnessed:
“These women gave me so much, but mainly the lesson that even life’s toughest curveballs can’t dim the light of joy and courage and community.” – Jane Barber, Volunteer Instructor
Throughout the week, moments of progress and connection unfolded everywhere.
From a participant experiencing her first-ever powder day to a broken outrigger that quickly transformed into a meaningful keepsake, signed by participants and staff alike.
She Shreds was built around three simple goals: grow confidence on snow, create space for authentic community, and make room for genuine fun. Participants supported one another through glitter-filled ski days and nights of honest conversations about the realities of navigating life with a disability.
Looking Ahead to the Next She Shreds Camp
She Shreds is a program the BOEC community won’t soon forget and a foundation we can’t wait to build on.
Applications for the 2026–27 She Shreds camp will open later this year. If you or someone you know would benefit from a week like this, we encourage you to stay connected with BOEC and keep an eye out for registration announcements.
Programs like She Shreds are possible because of a community that believes adaptive outdoor recreation should be accessible to everyone. Support from donors helps provide specialized equipment, highly trained instructors, and the one-to-one instruction that makes experiences like this possible.
Your support helps ensure more women have the chance to find confidence, connection, and joy on the mountain.
