Dennis Connors: Paralympic Athlete & OAS Snowboarder Relocating to Beaverton, Oregon from Utah with his wife over 8 years ago. Dennis has delved into the world of paralympic sports in an eager dive to pursue the activities he loves after suffering a stroke in 2020 that took him 9 months to learn to walk again in rehab. Read more of Dennis’s involvement with Veteran and adaptive programs, being an athlete with Team USA, below in an interview from February 2024. Introduce yourself My name is Dennis Connors, my family lives in Beaverton, Oregon but we ski here at Mt. Bachelor because we own ..read more

By Pat Addabbo, Executive Director On Saturday and Sunday March 9th & 10th, 2024, I had the honor of supporting two of my most memorable experiences ever with OAS and in all of my 16 years of working in adaptive sports. On Saturday, OAS assisted ALS Northwest at Mt Hood Meadows for their annual fundraiser “Ski to Defeat ALS.” The OAS team has travelled to Mt Hood once each year for the past decade to provide ski experiences for individuals living at advanced stages of the disease. Like our own Ski For All, hundreds of individuals sign up to celebrate the joy of skiing while raising fu ..read more

Written by: Dave Nichols Introduction Have you taken advantage of the Downhill Ski Program offered by Oregon Adaptive Sports? Did you know that OAS also has a Nordic Skiing Program at Mount Bachelor every Wednesday on “Community Days”. The snow is here! Mount Bachelor is reporting 81 inches of new snow this month, and more is on the way. It looks like 2024 is going to be a SENSATIONAL SKI SEASON. I just returned from a wonderful weekend of skiing with OAS at Bachelor. I had a great time. I saw some familiar faces and met a few new volunteers. I recently met up with OAS staffer Kathy Farrell to ..read more

Written by: Dave Nichols Introduction I was having dinner at a family friend’s house and I was asked, “Do you know Jack Hogan?” I did not know the name at the time. They said he was an engineer, a fellow Oregon State graduate, and he had also gone to Craig Hospital in Colorado. When I went to Craig Hospital after my fall in 2017 there was a physical therapy gym that had flags from all the schools represented by their patients . There was not an Oregon State pennant, but I changed that soon. Not only was Jack a fellow OSU Beaver but he is also an engineer. We were definitely destined to co ..read more

Donate Now Your support makes stories like Sloan’s possible. Please consider making a year-end donation to support OAS. OAS Community, As we approach the end of the year, we at Oregon Adaptive Sports want to take a moment to reflect on the incredible stories that have unfolded throughout the seasons. Your support has played a vital role in making these stories possible, and we are reaching out with gratitude and a special request as we look towards the future. One such story that stands out is Sloan’s journey with OAS. Sloan, a young adventurer with a love for thrills and the outdoors, has be ..read more

About Dave Nichols OAS met Dave in the fall of 2019 during our inaugural partnership with Craig Hospital, the nation’s leading Spinal Cord and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) rehabilitation facility. A resident of Portland, OR, Dave had recently returned home to Oregon after his initial rehabilitation from a TBI while climbing in the North Cascades. Dave then visited OAS for a week-long adaptive mountain biking retreat with fellow Craig Hospital alumni, gaining skills on an adaptive mountain bike and becoming officially immersed into the OAS community. Since then, we’ve been humbled as we’ve watc ..read more

Written by: Dave Nichols Introduction Four years ago we moved into a new one-level house across town in SW Portland. Since the move, neighbors have been mistaking me for one of our neighbors, Kade Wicklow, who is 18 years old.   We both walk the neighborhood regularly and use the same style Drive Nitro 4-wheeled walker.  Mine is red and his is black! At first, I did not appreciate being mistaken for someone in high school and more than a decade younger than me. But this summer we became walking partners, and I learned that we are both working to walk independently. He is pushing me t ..read more

OAS was able to support 4 athletes for the 2023 Cycle Oregon Classic! Cycle Oregon is a multi-day supported road ride through Oregon’s most iconic bike routes. OAS supported from day 2 to day 6, Sept 11-15th,  of Cycle Oregon’s Classic, which totals up to 5 days of riding. To learn more about the route the OAS Team took, please check out Cycle Oregon’s details here: https://cycleoregon.com/ride/classic/. Support Provided: OAS provided on-course and in-camp support. On-course support looks like: Tandem captains,  someone to ride with or near you, OAS sag team for on course repairs and ..read more

by Dave Nichols “Senate Bill 420 has passed. Governor Tina Kotek has signed it into law!” I exclaim. “Neat”, you might say. “What exactly is SB 420?”  “It’s a bill to set up Brain Injury Resource Navigation in Oregon,” I smile back. “Yes, but what does that even mean?” you ask. “Fair question,” I truthfully respond. Here is the who, what, when, where and why about this landmark legislation. Who Over 85,000 Oregonians are currently living with the after-effects of a brain injury. This bill is for them, and for their loved ones.  Having a central resource office will also be invaluable ..read more

by David Nichols I am proud to announce that I am continuing to improve! Last week was a big week , a major milestone has been reached, I was able to attend all of my appointments without using, bringing my Walker. OAS has played a role contributing in my progress. They have allowed me to safely continue to participate in the outdoor activities that bring me joy, it has been critical to my mindset. For this I am incredibly grateful. Dave (front right) atop McKenzie Pass with a group of OAS athletes in early June 2023. I have said before, the feel I’m in a self fulfilling loop of progress. I ..read more