Magical moment disabled mum realizes dream of heliskiing with her son – five years after suffering devastating spinal cord injury
- Sarah-Jane Stazsak, from Backheath, Australia, lost the use of her legs in 2014
- She ticked off a bucket list goal of heliskiing with son Hamish in Valdez, Alaska
- Drone footage shows her snaking down the slope on an seated ski in April
This is the magical moment a disabled mum realises her dream of heliskiing five years after suffering a spinal cord injury.
Sarah-Jane Stazsak, from Backheath, Australia, lost the use of her legs in 2014 but her passion for snowsports still burns bright.
And in April, she finally ticked off a bucket list goal of going heliskiing with her son Hamish in Valdez, Alaska.
The motivational speaker said: ‘Skiing and the love of the Alpine environment has been in my bones since I was about 15 years old.
Sarah-Jane Stazsak (middle beside helper Paul Gardner) finally ticked off a bucket list goal of going heliskiing with her son Hamish (left) in Valdez, Alaska
A video of her trip shows Sarah-Jane hurtling down the piste on an adapted seated ski which allows her to hit the slopes
‘Going sit-skiing not long after leaving the rehab facility post injury was something that brought me great joy.
‘It made me appreciate the importance of pursuing things of passion in order to maintain a positive zest for living.
‘I had been heliskiing before as an able-bodied woman and I really wanted to experience Alaska in this way.
‘I particularly wanted to impress the experience on my son and forge a path of opportunity and possibilities for other people who battle disability.’
Although Sarah-Jane lost the use of her legs in 2014 but her passion for snowsports still burns bright
The mother is all smiles as the mother, dressed in salopettes and goggles, is hoisted up on to the seated ski
A video of her trip shows Sarah-Jane hurtling down the piste on an adapted seated ski which allows her to hit the slopes.
As is the nature of heliskiing, the film shows her and Hamish take off in a helicopter and fly to a secluded part of the mountain range to start their descent from.
The mother is all smiles as the mother, dressed in salopettes and goggles, is hoisted up on to the seated ski.
The video then cuts to drone footage of Sarah-Jane, being steered by an able-bodied skier, snaking though the snow to the backdrop of an idyllic Valdez.
Sarah-Jane glances at the camera as she shoots down the slope on a glorious day in Alaska
Drone footage shows Sarah-Jane, being steered by an able-bodied skier, snaking though the snow to the backdrop of an idyllic Valdez
As is the nature of heliskiing, the film shows her and Hamish take off in a helicopter and fly to a secluded part of the mountain range to start their descent from