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PARK CITY — A Utah teenager had the opportunity in March to travel to South Korea to teach Korean kids with disabilities how to ski.
Colson Tolman, 16, traveled to Pyeongchang during the Paralympics, where he spent three days on the slopes teaching Koreans how to ski. Tolman, with the help of the National Ability Center in Park City, was one of 12 people to take part in teaching.
Tolman was worried at first that dealing with the language barrier would be tough, he said, but the group of Koreans he worked with was happy to learn.
“They were really enthusiastic,” he said. “They loved everything about it, and they really liked to interact with us.”
Tolman is missing his arm just past his elbow but has been skiing regularly since he was 9 years old and is on a ski team in Park City.
He said he was able to ski down the hill in front of the Korean students to show them how to ski. He started out with the basics and fixed the little things as they went along.
“I had never taught people to ski, so it was interesting having the first people I taught being Koreans,” he said.
While there, the group from Utah stayed in a hotel at the Phoenix Snowpark in Pyeongchang and got the opportunity to experience the Paralympics, including the opening ceremony and a few of the events.
“It was incredible,” he said, noting that everyone in attendance cheered for every country as they walked through the arena. “The atmosphere was amazing. Everybody was so enthusiastic and so happy.”
Tolman said he watched a snowboard cross event, and he saw the U.S. sled hockey team trounce the Japanese team 10-0.
“That was super awesome,” Tolman said. “Even the Japanese were really happy after they lost.”
Tolman said disabilities are treated a little differently in Korea. Most of the kids he worked with tried to hide their disabilities. Despite that, the National Ability Center group did their best to empower the Koreans, he said.
“We were there to show them that they can do whatever they want while still having these disabilities,” Tolman said. “So it was cool to be able to demonstrate that.”
Tolman said the group also got the opportunity to try some authentic Korean food at a local market, he said, adding that the food was good but spicy. Korean cuisine favors the hot stuff over sweet food, Tolman said.
