Alumni Spotlight Series | Ben Thompson

BEN THOMPSON Class of 2005 Interviewed by Michelle Noble | September 2016

S

ince the day Ben took his first step, his life has revolved around adventure - from fast flowing rivers to

steep ski slopes to rugged mountain terrain. At the age of eight, Ben noticed he didn’t have control over the muscles in his legs and had to learn to adapt to his body’s boundaries, which he soon discovered could be pushed and stretched further than he ever imagined. Never one to be held back from adventure, Ben adjusted to his disability, revised his activities, and continued pushing the envelope for thrill-seeking experiences. We hope you enjoy this Spotlight on the ever-inspiring 2005 Mulgrave graduate, Ben Thompson.

How has skiing been a part of your

With skiing in my blood, I started

nerves, mostly affecting the feet, so

family’s life? At what age did you first

early and was on skis at the age of

I walk but do not have the strength

step into a pair of skis?

three, doing my best to stay upright.

in my lower legs to control skis. If I

By the age of eight, I realised that I

were to put skis on now, I would be

would not be able to progress with

lucky to make it down the bunny hill.

stand up skiing; I just didn’t have the

In a sit-ski, I can ski how I want and

muscles needed to control my skis

it allows me to ski with family and

beyond the way a six-year-old would

friends. The biggest challenge for

ski a blue run. I pursued other things

me was awareness; I just didn’t know

like swimming and biking.

sit-skiing existed or that it was an

I was born into a ski family. My dad and his brother patrolled all over the Rockies and coastal mountains when they were growing up - they even learned to backflip on 218cm skinny skis. My mom and her siblings are all awesome skiers as well.

Uncle Jack used to do back-to-back

Can you explain why you were

seasons heli-ski guiding in BC and

unable to control your skis? What

New Zealand before settling into

was the most challenging part of

a job with the Canadian Avalanche

giving up the sport you loved?

Foundation in BC. Grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins and friends – everyone skied in the winter.

option for me. At the time, adaptive skiing was not common world-wide and was just starting to become more well-known.

I am very lucky to have my younger

I had to give up stand up skiing

brother (who has the same disability)

because my disability (called Charcot

as he played a significant role in how

Marie Tooth) limited how I could

I coped with my disability.

ski. It affects my peripheral motor

How did you first get into sit-skiing?

before the Sochi Paralympics when

school, but they changed drastically

I received my first NorAm podium,

in my first year of university.

a 3rd place in Super Combined,

During my that year, I met so many

which is a discipline that combines

interesting people who had unique

1 Super-G run and 1 Slalom run. I

life experiences, and they made me

was also named the first alternate

re-think what I wanted to pursue.

for the Sochi Paralympics, meaning I

I had taken one art history course

would be the first person to replace

in my first year as an elective and

any injured Canadians competing in

enjoyed it, so again, I followed my

Sochi.

interests.

higher speeds. After a few years of

After graduating from Mulgrave, you

Did UVic provide you with an

learning the basics, we entered our

originally headed to UVic thinking

opportunity to delve into your

first race and were noticed by the

you would study physics. What made

passions/ hobbies? How did you get

BC Para-Alpine Ski Team.

you change paths?

involved?

That’s impressive! So what was your

I did not have a defined career path

Vancouver Island is a great

sit-ski career highlight?

that I wanted to pursue when I

destination for whitewater kayaking,

graduated from Mulgrave. I followed

offering everything from beginner

my interests and passions from high

rivers to some of the most difficult

I started sit-skiing in 2006. A parent of another Mulgrave student (Shae de Jaray, 2006 graduate) saw a sitskier in Whistler and told my brother and me about it. From there, we took our first lesson, and we were instantly hooked. After a few lessons, my brother and I were pushing each other to go on harder runs and hit

My career highlight was in 2014, just

in the world. When I first arrived

degree, but the experience provided

again following my passion. After a

at Uvic I had heard about a white

a different and complementary skill

few summers of working just for the

water kayaking club but did not

set to my degree.

kayak shop, I expanded and started

know much beyond that. I ended

offering multi-day whitewater raft

up meeting some amazing life-long

trips in the Yukon. Eventually, I

friends because of this club. In my second year of university I became involved with the club executive and ended up running the club for a few years. The club grew from 85 to over 400 people while I was there. I really believe my experience

“

I COULD NEVER PICK MY WILDEST ADVENTURE, THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY TO PICK FROM.

”

with running this club provided more practical knowledge than my university degree. (The club had about the same number of people as

How did you turn your love for white water rafting into employment?

travelled to Norway to work as a whitewater raft guide. I was really just following what I enjoy doing and was ready to jump on any opportunity that was presented.

What is the wildest adventure you’ve had?

I could never pick my wildest adventure, there are just too many to pick from, but they would all be

the entire Middle and Senior School

During my first summer in

related to rivers. The Grand Canyon,

at Mulgrave at the time.) I do not

university, I worked at a whitewater

the Firth River, and my entire

mean to diminish the value of my

kayak school in North Vancouver,

summer in Norway would be among

BEN THOMPSON

some of wildest.

What is your involvement with Live it! Love it! Foundation?

A very good family friend of mine broke his neck snowboarding in Revelstoke in 2010. Since then, he started the Live it! Love it!

Foundation, which is a foundation that provides adventure camps for people with disabilities to return to the outdoors. For the last few years, I have had the absolute pleasure of coaching the big mountain sit-ski camp alongside my brother. I enjoy coaching and sharing the knowledge and skills I acquired during my years of competitive ski racing, but in a much more relaxed environment.

Tell us more about your 3D printing

business and some of the most

set to allow me to take advantage

interesting projects you have worked

of even more opportunities. I am

on.

taking a CNC (Computer Numerical

After retiring from ski racing, I started my own small 3D printing company. I started out printing architectural models but quickly

Control) Technician programme at BCIT. Before I start school, my girlfriend and I are travelling to South East Asia for eight weeks.

expanded into rapid prototyping.

Having an accident or learning you

Some of my favourite projects have

have a physical disability can be

been printing a prosthetic hand

devastating for people – especially

for a friend, prototyping wrist

for those who are active by nature.

watches, prototyping bike parts for a

Do you have any advice for someone

company from France, and working

who is going through this?

on my own prototypes for sit-skis.

What’s next for you?

I’m going back to school for a career change. Since I started the 3D printing company a few years ago, I have decided to expand my skill

Be ready to adapt and realise there are way more opportunities out there for anyone with a disability than you think there are.

Ben Thompson, 2016