European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 31, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                No longer a Novelty ski racing with a Handicap by Dagmar Obereigner associated press t rapped in a storm 12years Ngo while ice climbing Onn Mountain in Maine Wilh wind chill Olbo degrees below Zero. Paul Dioletto lost Bolh . Today As he whips through lha slalom Gates to a hard to Tell the two time world Champion handicapped skier has artificial legs. And he is training other disabled skiers to compete. Four years alter his Accident Dibello now 35, was Back on so 3. He Wen on to collect 28 medals eight of them when he swept his category in 1982 and 19q4 world handicapped championships. He now runs the Winter Park handicapped Competition program the Only program in this country devoted in developing handicapped ski racers. This ski area 67 Miles West of Denver also has a recreational ski program Lor the handicapped i hat is a Model for others across i he country. Among Dibello s clients Are Ted Kennedy jr., whose cancerous right Tell was amputated above the knew when he was 12. And Sarah Doherty who fast Spring became the first amputee to climb my. Mckinley in Alaska. Kennedy and Doherty ski with the one leg. Using outriggers poles with special min skis on the ends to help them keep their balance. Other racers have no arms. Some Are partially paralysed. Some Are Blind. What we re trying to provide Here is the Means for a handicapped person to attain a High level of involvement Dibello says. Our approach is to Leach the sport unchanged in us instructional  Kennedy the 24-year-old son Rotthe Massachusetts senator owned Dibello s facing program when it began last year and returned i his season 1or More training. Dibello says Kennedy is on the verge of being asked to become part of the . Handicapped team provided he continues to Iraln. Kennedy realizes the Competition is Sloff. The level of Competition has gotten to the Point where it s nol just a Bunch of handicapped people Oul there skiing he says. The athletes really Are world class  Kennedy is a National spokesman Lor handicapped rights. He said the fact that he a member of a famous family is handicapped does help somewhat in helping people accept those with disabilities. I anything in shows ii can happen to anybody he says. The fact is nobody is above acquiring a disability and Allol us will be disabled before we die in one Wey or , 25. Wasa Long distance runner and a swimmer until she lost a leg in a car acc Deal 13 years ago. She say she started skiing to Channel my athletic energies she quit her Job As an occupational therapist in Seattle last year to Slart ski raining but took Lime Oul to climb it. A Ckinley. Accompanied by two expert climbers on May 19 she became the first amputee to reach the 20,320-1 oat Summit. _ i a har a fir Nile taking parts Lor handicapped people taking Pai in High Nik North  says More people Dio in car Nucci dents than living out their  she and a Loren others paid $1,000  to train Lour Days a week All season in Gioello s program. Dibello also runs Vaivio is week Long Camps and a season Long weekend program Lor Loca skiers. Until the program was established training Lor handicapped racers in i he United states was a sort of hit and miss proposition says Kirk Bauer executive director of i to National handicapped sports and recreation association based in Washington . Vou take the person who s a Strong recreational skier and wants to become an actual elite racer and that s where there s been a  Bauer says. Wilh some exceptions that s been left up to the racer Dibello did it on his own first racing with non handicapped skiers and spending a Tew years adapting equipment to his disability. But after the climbing Accident that changed his life in was a Long haul to becoming a world class ski racer. On the night of Jan 31, 1974, a vicious storm trapped Dibello and five other climbers for 23 hours on an ice ledge on my. A Lahden in Maine. The wind chill Factor soon was 80 below Zero and i was up there for 23 hours. I lost my thumb the end of my nose both my tags and a Good Friend Dibello says. A endured lha amputations and nearly 10 months in a Hospital. He eventually resumed most activities except skiing which he had done since a was a. I d placed thai kind of in a shrine in the Back of my mind he recalls. Bui in 1978, a Friend convinced him to try ii again. My legs started falling off when i was going up the chair lift Dibello recalls. And i m sweating and i m holding my legs on. I skied about 200 Yards and i just collapsed. I was crying. It just kind of overcame me. I realized that after being pimped you Don t Havo to live up to old expectations. That Day i accepted the fact that i was  a competitive athlete Dibello then began to reline his skiing and to look Lor More opportunities Lor racing or himself and others. The United states has bean playing catch up in handicapped ski racing with Europe where such racing is Well established. Until the past live years . Participation in International races was sporadic. But in 1934,1he . Team won 24 medals in the world championships and came in second Overall behind Austria. This year 116 participants wit travel to Sweden for the world championships in april. And Tor the first time handicapped skiers will be Able to compete in recreational races at 138 ski areas across the country competing against a Standard set by a . Handicapped team member. Dibello said that As the level of Competition improves the american Public s perception of handicapped ski racing is changing Loo. It used to be a Novelty. It s no longer a Novelty. It s a bonafide athletic Endeavor for somebody who wants to become the Best in the  two me world Champion handicapped skier Paul Dibello trains in Colorado. Isabel Bohn left if instructed on skiing with outriggers by Paul Dibello. Friday january 31, 1986 the stars and stripes Page 13