'One of my best days': Rocky Mountain Adaptive changing lives in mountain parks

For 14 years, Rocky Mountain Adaptive (RMA) has helped thousands of people with special needs enjoy experiences in the Bow Valley.

"We are a charity based in Banff and Canmore, making mountain sport and recreation accessible and inclusive to anyone identifying as living with disability," said Jamie McCulloch, RMA co-founder and executive director.

McCulloch says RMA has seen steady growth since its first year.

"For example, if we take an individual living with a spinal cord injury and share an experience out hiking, that counts as one experience," he said.

"In the first year, we did 40 experiences. This past programming year, we've just delivered 2,500 in 22 different activities all year round."

McCulloch says RMA operates on an annual budget of $1 million.

"We can have specialized bits of equipment to support different sports like downhill skiing, snowboarding and cross-country skiing, snowshoeing in the winter," he said.

"Then, in the summer, kayaking, canoeing, stand-up and sit-down paddleboarding, hiking, mountain biking, road biking and many more."

Dave Sagal lost the use of his legs after a ski crash in 2019.

When he learned about RMA and its activities, he wanted to try riding a three-wheel pedal-assist electric mountain bike called a Bowhead.

"It was the first adaptive activity I'd ever done where I just forgot I was doing an adaptive activity," Sagal said.

"I forgot I was paralyzed, I even remember screaming that out to Jamie."

Sagal soon turned the thrill of that ride into something he could share with others by becoming a bike instructor with RMA.

"One of my best days, if not the best day since my injuries, (is) that first day I rode the Bowhead," he said.

"So for me, a large part of our biking program is introducing people and training them how to ride it. I really enjoy how I get to relive my best day through giving others their best day."

Jonathan Hogg knows that same thrill of cycling in the mountain parks.

Hogg broke his leg in a ski incident and realized that while his injury would heal to give him full mobility, that's not the case for others.

He's a volunteer with RMA and was looking for a way to give back to the organization.

Hogg signed up for the 2023 Tour Divide.

"Which is a bikepacking race that starts in Banff and goes 4,418 kilometres along the Continental Divide to Antelope Wells, New Mexico at the U.S.-Mexico border," he said.

"There's about 61,000 metres of climbing, which is like going from sea level to the top of Mount Everest almost seven times."

Hogg turned his ride attempt into a fundraiser called "Dollar for a Difference" and hoped to raise $1 million.

He made it just east of Jackson Hole, Wyo., before an injury forced him to retire.

To date, he's raised more than $6,000 and the campaign runs through to the end of July.

He's hopeful people will not only donate but also sign up to become volunteers.

"There's a lot of volunteers that come in from Calgary and there's a lot here in the Bow Valley," he said.

"If you've thought about it, do it. There's 23 different activities from disc golf to hiking, biking, water activities. Just get involved even if it's once a year or twice a year. They appreciate whatever you can give."

Sagal says every dollar RMA sees really does make a difference.

"I can attest to it from my own experience riding the bike and having my world change," he said.

"And from that first experience I had with Rocky Mountain Adaptive, I went on to more experiences and then those experiences helped me become much more comfortable in my body after my injury."

You can learn more about Hogg's fundraiser and all the RMA programs at rockymountainadaptive.com.