MONTREAL - It took tragedy to launch Peter Treacy's mission to spread joy to fellow amputees and others who cannot walk.
Around Christmas 1980 Peter Treacy noticed smoke coming from his car. He went to move it away further from his house but fainted from the fumes. By the time his wife discovered him, he was badly burned and his right leg would have to be amputated.
It launched the Brompton-based environmental engineer into a sense of isolation.
"Everything changed, I just seemed to be separated from society," he said.
But five years later when bringing his three sons skiing, he noticed his first one-legged man tackling the slope with the aid of specialized equipment.
It was an epiphany for Treacy, who soon after became a rabid skier as well. By 1995 he had launched his group, now called the Adaptive Sports Foundation.
Since its inception, skiers have multiplied from about five to 100 and volunteers have grown tenfold to now total 100 as well.
And participants can't get enough of the joy of skiing.
"What do you like about this so much? To be outside and the fun and to be with the volunteers also," said participant Luc Labonte.
Other parents have seen a similar joyous transformation in their kids since they joined his outings.
"The first time she went down, I think she was scared," said Marc April about his daughter Audrey. "Now she loves speed, she loves everything we do here."
Marc Sauve offers a similar testimonial about his son Emmanuel.
"To see him having fun like this, it's very emotional and skiing can brighten up the winter," he says.
Treacy's enthusiasm has enabled the group to attract volunteers and donors, including the owners of the Owl's Head ski hill, who were excited by a chance to pitch in to help the disabled enjoy sports.
"If you're active, we say you're healthy and you're happy and that's the whole thing, being active and healthy and happy," said Treacy, who also runs a similar summertime program offering water-skiing lessons and other water sports.
Treacy finds the exercise profoundly moving.
"You can't go in a store and buy something like that," he said.
The volunteers also feel the good vibes.
"It's inspirational," says Treacy Redmond. "The program is amazing, the people that we've met, the students are fantastic and they inspire me."
"We have close to 100 volunteers," she says. "They all give and I mean not just out of their pocket, but they give from the heart and they receive a feeling that's unbelievable."
"After I started to ski the thrill I got, I just realized there's so many others like me, and worse that have never had the opportunity to get on a ski hill and end enjoy the wind in your face."
