BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Challenged Athletes Foundation held a sled hockey clinic at Ice World on Friday, that will be followed by Nordic skiing on Saturday and downhill skiing on Sunday at Bogus Basin.
The sled hockey clinic featured two-time gold medalist Andy Yohe, he was on the team in Sochi and Team USA's captain in Vancouver. Overall the Paralympic squad has won four gold medals in a row.
"The U.S. wasn't a powerhouse when I started, but over the years we had a group of guys that took it serious and trained every day like elite athletes," said Yohe. "It was really cool to be part of the foundation."
Yohe lost his legs when a train ran over his right knee and left ankle when he was 16-years-old. Sports helped get Andy back on track and now he wants to help the next generation by being a coach at the clinic.
"It’s definitely awesome to be part of the Challenged Athletes Foundation, they do an incredible job putting these grass roots campaigns together," said Yohe. "I came from Iowa just be here, so that’s how important I think it is."
The clinic featured adaptive athletes of all ages. Some tried the sport for the first time while others were out there honing their skills with the help of the coaches.
"It’s really fun," said Vivian, a local girl from Kuna. "For some people it can be really hard, but it is super fun."
Sled hockey is not an easy sport to pick up, but part of the mission for the CAF, besides creating opportunities, is to build community through the power of sports.
"I don’t really have a favorite out of all the sports we do, because we do a ton of sports," said Vivian. "I feel like it is super fun."
Idaho CAF has also helped athletes with prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and other equipment to help adaptive athletes get outdoors and enjoy Idaho.
That includes the new Idaho Outdoor Fieldhouse that is currently under construction. It will be the new home of Idaho CAF and Mission 43 and is set to open sometime later this year.
The Boise sports weekend continues with Nordic skiing at Bogus Basin on Saturday and then downhill skiing at our local non-profit on Sunday.
