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Whistler volunteer nominated for CBC award

Lindsay Willms in running for $25,000 Champions of Change honour
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Volunteers in Canada are an oft-ignored bunch, and they could care less.

That's because true volunteers, those who selflessly give their time to causes they believe in, don't care about pay or recognition. Behind the scenes they operate soup kitchens, kids' camps and befriend the elderly. They garden, knit, tie shoelaces, sing songs, sell raffle tickets and run errands. Unlike a good majority of folks for whom time equals money, the rewards they seek are intangible.

That is, until CBC and Outpost Magazine introduced Champions of Change, a contest to honour this country's most dedicated volunteers on home soil and abroad.

Nominees can be involved with a wide variety of volunteer efforts, as long as they fall into one of the Champions of Change categories, including education, community and culture; environment; health and wellness; housing and infrastructure; and social justice.

Lindsay Willms, a volunteer with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program (WASP), has been nominated for her efforts in health and wellness and if she wins she will receive $25,000 for her favourite charities. At the very least she'll secure $10,000 for being one of 10 chosen from close to 25,000 nominees for her work with special needs children. And either way she'll split the money between her two favourite organizations - Camp Good Times and WASP.

A full time special education and English teacher at Sentinel Secondary in West Vancouver, Willms dedicates her summers to Camp Goodtimes, an internationally-recognized summer recreation program for children and teens with cancer. In the snowy season she spends weekends on Whistler Blackcomb teaching kids the joys of skiing and snowboarding through WASP, which gives families the ability to interact with their children on the slopes for the first time.

"Lindsay was Aidan's instructor last spring. She was absolutely amazing with Aidan. She had this very special gift of getting his attention and helping him focus on the task at hand," said Vivian Macdonald of West Vancouver, whose son Aidan has autism.

"We have another son, Connor, who is eight... At the end of the day we all join Aidan and ski together. It is very rewarding to see our family all come together around this activity. Without the help of the adaptive program this special time that we all spend together would not be possible. By the end of this season, with the help of the Whistler Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program, I believe the four of us will be off skiing independently."

Though Willms was on track for law school, she took a detour after spending some time in the corporate world, realizing her passions lay elsewhere. She volunteered in Brazil for a few months, switched her second degree from law to education and decided to pour her energies into a master's degree in special ed. She got involved with WASP after hearing about the program from a friend. Five years later admits she is hooked on the experience.

"Working with a disabled population on the hill, you get to see people, who in their everyday lives are coddled or alternatively pushed aside by the population, overcome very significant challenges," she said.

"As an instructor, you must set the bar high and the students will be able to achieve so much. Many people put artificial ceilings on individuals with disabilities because they do not have the time, resources or training to make adaptations or try creative methods."

Allowing clients who communicate differently with the world to experience activities that bring a smile to most Whistlerite's faces is part of the daily routine at WASP. The program, heading into its 12 th year, runs a summer profile that includes kayaking, canoeing, hiking, hand cycling and rowing. In winter it helps people ski, snowboard, participate in Nordic sports and compete in alpine race programs. While many of WASP's clients face a number of challenges, none of them are insurmountable under the guidance of the program. Some are hearing impaired, paraplegic, or have amputated limbs. A number face cognitive challenges such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHT) and cerebral palsy. Willms shines with them all.

"Lindsay is absolutely exceptional with the kids and she is pretty key when it comes to the folks that require sign language, like our hearing impaired clients," said John Brown, WASP ski and snowboard program supervisor.

"Most of the kids that are involved in the program that have a cognitive disability tend not to participate in organized team sports so an individualized sport is much better suited to their learning. And once they can get that enjoyment out of it then all of a sudden you bring in the family interaction and family inclusion. For a family to be able to take their son or daughter skiing that doesn't normally even talk to them, is just absolutely unbelievable. I've had parents cry they were so ecstatic."

In addition to the sign language, Willms is in the process of training for her sit-ski certification and is already certified to teach visually impaired lessons, three tracking (which uses two outriggers and a single ski) and four tracking (two outriggers and two skies). Due to her experience, patience and aptitude for teaching, WASP regularly asks her to mentor new volunteers.

"Lindsay has been a great volunteer, not just for Whistler Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program but also she's come and helped out with our Trail Rider program in the summer," said WASP's executive director Chelsea Walker. "She's one of the most positive, bubbly, uplifting people to be around so it's only natural that she was chosen for Champions of Change."

When she's not studying, in class, teaching, or volunteering at WASP and Camp Goodtimes, Willms normally also volunteers as a high school and community volleyball coach, which she put on hold this year because of a heavy course load. Last year, she and her husband raised $20,000 for the Alzheimer's Society of British Columbia and completed the Ascent for Alzheimer's hike up Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania.

When asked where she gets her drive to help others from, Willms' response was true to form.

"I get so much joy from helping others find ways to feel empowered and find success themselves," she said. "Everyone is capable of so much - they just need someone to believe in them and a way to show their skills."

Winners of the Champions of Change will be announced in January 2011, the 10 th anniversary of the International Year of the Volunteer. To vote for a nominee go to www.cbc.ca/change.