Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/599904
STARRINKS.COM NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2015 / 31 with a lunch, tour of the rink and the event itself—and turned into a program," says O'Neill. "It's gone beyond my wildest dreams." The first SkateTherapy session had just six instructors and even fewer students. Each on-ice session continued to grow. Entering its fifth year in existence, there are now 38 instructors and 100 students. "We just registered our 100th person this year," says Wylie, director of SkateTherapy. "It is absolutely incredible to see what this program has become and all that it has done for so many in the area. We have so many that are willing to come out and help. That's the enthusiasm we have for a program like this. It's absolutely wonderful." Wonderful also describes the benefit it has on each child. Each group of SkateTherapy students is made up of children with varying degrees of disabilities. Wylie estimates that 90 percent of the kids in her class have autism, while she also has students with cerebral palsy and Williams syndrome, and a student who is blind. The SkateTherapy sessions themselves are made up of two different classes. The first hour-long class is meant for the beginning skaters and the ones who need extra assistance. The second class is for the more advanced skaters. Making the SkateTherapy class extra special is the fact that the program benefits not only the students, but also the on-ice instructors. Because SkateTherapy is volunteer-driven, Wylie crafted a way to enlist her figure skating students to help. At 11 years old, interested students can become apprentices. Apprentices work with an apprentice captain to learn how to work with special-needs kids, and how to best help them on the ice during a SkateTherapy session. At age 13, apprentices are eligible to become full- "We have so many that are willing to come out and help. That's the enthusiasm we have for a program like this. It's absolutely wonderful." —B.L. Wylie