JACKSON, Wyo. — This valley has long been a haven for recreation and adventure; and 20 years ago, access to local activities increased in a meaningful way with the inception of Teton Adaptive.
Since 2005, Teton Adaptive (formerly known as Teton Adaptive Sports) has been working to break down barriers, especially financial ones, for people with different abilities who want to pursue recreation opportunities in the greater Teton area.
According to Teton Adaptive’s Executive Director Adriene Henderson, the nonprofit organization was created by a group of community members in the ski industry when they saw a discrepancy in who was included slopeside.
“The birth of Teton Adaptive was for skiing, which is so on brand for the culture and community of Jackson,” Henderson told Buckrail, “and it’s what makes our home so special.”
What began as a skiing program for those with a disability, grew to include more winter sports, and eventually other sports like mountain biking, kayaking, paddleboarding, camping, hiking, nordic skiing, sled hockey and even paragliding.
Participant statistics from the early years of Teton Adaptive are difficult to confirm because record keeping was nearly absent during the original iterations of the organization, Henderson said. However, the most recent annual impact report, released by Teton Adaptive in 2023, indicates that the nonprofit gave 665 ski lessons, 39 adaptive mountain biking lessons and eight adaptive paragliding flights that year. There were also 80 sled hockey and skating participants, 17 adaptive paddling participants and 37 attendees at an adaptive mountain bike camp at Grand Targhee Resort.
Henderson said that the community of people with disabilities is very broad. Teton Adaptive strives to be a place for people of any age with any kind of disability — physical, cognitive or other — to get the instruction and adaptation they need to feel comfortable.
“We are constantly trying to rise to the challenge and serve everyone with dignity,” said Henderson.
This year, Teton Adaptive is starting a pilot swimming program, supported by funding from the Jackson Hole Community Foundation and private donors. The swim lessons are offered through a partnership with Jackson Hole Swimming and will take place at the community recreation center. According to Henderson, swimming was a program requested by the community, and she considers it a big personal and professional win.
As Teton Adaptive looks toward the next 20 years, Henderson envisions growing the partnership arm to reach more potential participants. Currently, the nonprofit is working closely with Camp Jackson, hosted by Teton County/Jackson Parks and Recreation, as well as with Coombs Outdoors to assist in making camps and after-school programs more inclusive.
“We’ve found incredible community partners who put in the effort and the work to open the doors to a much wider [audience],” said Henderson.
On August 2, Teton Adaptive will host its Summer Soiree to celebrate two decades of adaptive recreation and inclusive outdoor experiences. Join the nonprofit at R Park from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. for food trucks, music, lawn games, water activities, a silent auction and more.
