For over 40 years, UVA students have been volunteering with Therapeutic Adventures (TA) and IndependencePlus Adaptive Sports (I~AS). Mark Andrews founded the program when he was a graduate student at UVA from 1980-1983. In the past four decades, a family-like community has developed among the athletes and volunteers as they inspire and encourage one another. 

“[The program] provides leadership, programs, and specialty therapeutic services to educate, to challenge, and to inspire persons of all ages and abilities. Individuals who have experienced traumatic or catastrophic life events learn positive ways to adapt and overcome those challenges. Our unique approach of teaching, coaching, guiding, and mentoring makes it possible for persons with disabilities and complex medical needs to restore, to rebuild, to re-create themselves,” comments Mark. 

According to TA and I~AS’s website, over 54 million Americans currently have a disability, 2.3 million Americans are disabled veterans, 11.4 million Americans have a history of cancer, and 40% of the population has some kind of chronic disease. With these staggering numbers in mind, the importance of TA and I~AS’s mission is clear. Mark believes the program’s primary purpose is to “provide greater accessibility while emboldening those we serve with the courage to improve their functional independence, fitness, and overall quality of life.” 

UVA students began volunteering with Mark in 1981, a year after TA and I~AS was created. The first students came from the University’s Medical Center, but in 1999, Therapeutic Adventures became officially affiliated as a Madison House Community Partner. Josh Sandbulte (UVA ‘98) was Therapeutic ADventure’s first Program Director (PD). “I and another friend were initially volunteers—my friend was pre-med and heard about it as a volunteer activity. After volunteering for a year, we informally found other volunteers. Once we had a group, our senior year, we folded it into Madison House so Mark would have an organized pool of volunteers after we graduated,” Josh explains. “We have had approximately 500+ university student volunteers from UVA,” Mark adds. 

A current volunteer session takes place at Massanutten Ski Resort, though TA and I~AS also offer other outdoor activities, like fly fishing. After meeting in the lodge, volunteers are assigned a client for the day and the pair explore the ski mountain together.

“Lately I have been skiing with an elementary school-aged boy who has one arm and one leg,” says Jack Nickerson, the current Madison House HPD. Jack has been inspired by his athlete’s increasing confidence and strength following multiple surgeries. “I have a video of us going through the terrain park together that was super fun,” he says.

Some of Mark’s favorite memories are of watching volunteers interact with the athletes. He adds, “I have very fond memories of the student volunteers wearing different themed costumes as they partnered with our adaptive athletes on ‘Ice Day’ at the annual Independence Cup Adaptive Snow Sports Race and Celebration of Independence Awards Ceremony. Families frequently report how impressed they are with our trained Madison House volunteers. Their enthusiasm and commitment are important qualities.”

Volunteers are crucial to the functioning of the program. “I am very proud that Therapeutic Adventures operates with an all volunteer program staff,” says Mark. “We have also established relationships to provide clinical internships with JMU and Murphy Deming for Graduate Occupational Therapy Students. We also have a strong group of core community volunteers.” Many of the community volunteers began at UVA and continued to stay connected with the program past graduation.

“The whole Therapeutic Adventures program is about inspiring people experiencing a challenge to get out there and do something that makes them feel empowered and strong, and is fun!” comments Caroline Conlan, UVA ‘20. Caroline was introduced to TA her third day at UVA, when the PD at the time handed her an advertising flier. “It was near Old Cabell on the lawn,” she reflects, “and I had told him I was interested in pre-med and would love to be a medical volunteer at Madison House. He told me I would get more exposure with this program.” She continues, “I have been a skier since I was six years old and in high school I worked with kids with disabilities. Therapeutic Adventures married my two biggest interests at the time.” 

Now, Caroline is specializing in physical medicine and rehabilitation, and she acknowledges the influence that Therapeutic Adventures had in placing her on this path.

“I realized that if I could do what I did in Therapeutic Adventures as a doctor, that would be the most fulfilling and happiest career,” Caroline says, noting that she works a lot with adaptive equipment and other therapeutic adventures to increase function. “Mark actually introduced me to this speciality. He introduced me to a former PD.”

Meredith Rose, who graduated from UVA in 2019 and then completed a master’s degree at UVA in Teacher Special Education in 2020 had a similar story. During an information session for Madison House Medical Services, a PD mentioned medical-adjacent volunteer opportunities like Recreational Therapy. “I looked into it, found Therapeutic Adventures—an incredible opportunity to ski, gain great experience, and empower children and adults with disabilities—and never looked back,” says Meredith. “From the first ski weekend, I was hooked. Each ski season lasts about seven weeks, and I never missed a weekend in all four years. I had over 500 hours of service logged with Madison House by the time I graduated, and the vast majority of that was Therapeutic Adventures.” Now, five years after finishing her undergraduate degree at UVA, Meredith remains an active volunteer. Meredith considers the knowledge and experience she gained with TA to be instrumental in the work she does each day.

Clearly, as evidenced through their continued involvement with the program, UVA volunteers have built relationships with the clients they are serving, and they have also gotten close with Mark.

“Mark has been dedicated to providing high quality and meaningful service to his participants for 40+ years,” says Jack. Similarly, Meredith adds, “Mark is the most kind, generous, caring, dedicated, and hard-working person I have ever had the pleasure to know.”

Mark is proudly still in contact with over 50% of his past PDs. “So many of them continue to support our mission,” Mark says.

Meredith reiterates his continued connection with past volunteers, saying, “He has been an incredible mentor to the hundreds of university students who have volunteered with the program in its 40 plus years. He cares deeply about the volunteers and is dedicated to helping them reach their professional and personal goals. He has incredible knowledge and experience, and I’m so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him.”

Even when not able to physically participate in the program, past volunteers like Josh show their support financially. “We know how valuable the program is and want to sustain it,” Josh elaborates.

“Mark is just a power house,” exclaims Caroline. “He is so passionate about what he does and about building community for those with disabilities and their families. He has created this special program that is so much more than just ski lessons and going home. It feels like a family for volunteers and athletes. People who ski with this program have been doing this for 40 years, or their whole lives if they are kids.”

Mark is an innovative force when it comes to TA and I~AS. During the 2019 to 2020 season, for example, a man joined therapeutic adventures who had lost a leg on one side and an arm on the other from a motorcycle accident. Mark considered different ways to enable this athlete to snowboard down the mountain. “He found this long, flexible bar that he and I would hold and the snowboarder would hold in the middle,” describes Caroline. “What ended up working best was when Mark got chains with rubber piping around them that are used to hold horse stalls and made a hula hoop out of them. Basically we made a tethered hula hoop that we could use to help the snowboarder down [the slope].”

Not only do his PDs acknowledge the inspiring mentorship Mark has provided, but The American Institute of Public Service awarded him the prestigious and coveted Jefferson Award, which honors an individual who has devoted their life to exceptional public service. Additionally, in June 2002, the National Awards Ceremonies in Washington, D.C., recognized him “for his lifetime commitment to providing greater access to adaptive skiing, adaptive outdoor programs, and other specialized rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities.” 

Now, as the weather begins to warm and spring begins, the program’s season with Madison House is winding down. However, volunteer shifts pick up again following winter break in the next academic year. Students who are interested in working with Mark Andrews and empowering TA athletes should reach out to Jack Nickerson. More information can be found at the TA & I~AS Website or the Madison House GivePulse Page.

By Cecilia Murphy