Winter Park nonprofit offers adventure sports for all abilities

National Sports Center for the Disabled brings outdoor recreation to more people every year

By Melissa Voss

Colorado is the land of opportunity when it comes to the outdoors – rafting, skiing, climbing, horseback riding, tubing, hiking, fishing, hunting. At the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD), they believe everyone should have the access and ability to enjoy the great outdoors. Through the help of their staff and volunteers, the NSCD has brought that opportunity to disabled people across the nation for more than 55 years. The non-profit continues to grow and adapt to new possibilities every year, making it possible for everyone to make it to the summit.

In 1970, Hal O’Leary started his journey to make a ski program for disabled individuals in Winter Park. With his dedication to teaching, O’Leary volunteered as the first and only instructor when the Winter Park Ski School had 23 individuals from the Children’s Hospital Colorado come out for a day of play. Ever since then, O’Leary’s vision – seeing the “able” in everyone –  gradually built the National Sports Center for the Disabled into what it is today. Fifty-five years have passed since that first ski program at Winter Park, and NSCD has grown through the use of innovative equipment, generous volunteers and the same core vision O’Leary envisioned all those years ago. 

Julie Taulman, president and CEO of NSCD, has more than 30 years of experience in the accessibility field. Her beginnings with local non-profits supporting disabled individuals stems from her own personal experience. When Taulman’s son was only two years old, he was diagnosed with cancer that affected his spine. By the age of three, he became paraplegic. Taulman wanted to keep up the family tradition of going outdoors and enjoying time, without her son feeling restricted.

“I really didn’t know anything about the adaptive world until I was in it,” Taulman shares. “Right after my son became paraplegic … and I just kept thinking ‘how can we go on, how can we continue to do the things we love as a family?’ When he was three, we were able to get him on the slopes and he was in a sit ski. And it made us realize there is life after disability.” 

The NSCD provides a wide range of experiences that are modified to embrace any disability. The non-profit offers both recreational and competitive events for participants. In 2023, 1,721 residents participated in a recreational or competitive event; 41 percent were first-time participants. Programs for all ages range from water sports, horseback riding, shooting sports, skiing and many more.

 “I just remember sitting at the base of Winter Park, the snow littered with wheelchairs with no one in them and thought that they were all having fun, doing the things that they thought they never could do,” Taulman says.

Both the NSCD staff and volunteers are trained at the highest level to support individuals of a wide range of disabilities. Taulman shares that 500 volunteers donate the equivalent of around $700,000 in labor toward several NSCD programs annually. Taulman also emphasizes that as a non-profit, all of the opportunities they provide would not be possible without the care and support of their volunteers. 

“As a non-profit, our volunteers are the reason we can continue serving our communities,” Taulman says.

NSCD grew a lot in 2024, both in programs and in office accessibility. They launched their adaptive mountain bike program to provide summertime fun. They partnered with Jefferson County Open Space to open the Front Range Program Center, a designated space for NSCD to host events for participants and local schools, and house their Front Range adaptive equipment and vehicles.

For 2025, NSCD’s offices at Winter Park are also changing. Taulman shares that discussions are underway to build a state-of-the-art program facility, as well as overnight lodging for participants so they can enjoy the full independent experience.

As NSCD continues to grow, volunteers are always appreciated throughout the year. NSCD is always looking for volunteers along the Front Range and Winter Park to help out with special events they hold throughout the year. If you are interested in participating, volunteering, or donating to NSCD, visit their website.