Gwen Allard was a much beloved wife, mother, grandmother and
great-grandmother. Her life’s work was advocating and empowering
the disabled community. She was a revolutionary in her field, and her
vision was a spark that ignited commitment and momentum in the hearts
of those who met and worked with her. She was contagious.
Gwen’s deep love
of nature, combined with her innate compassion for others, fueled her
pioneering efforts in creating adaptive snow sports programs
throughout the United States. Her energy and lifelong commitment to
helping others painted the mountains with hope, making the thrill of
skiing accessible to all.
Hundreds of people
called Gwen “Mom.” Her hugs were a universe of comfort; her
spiritual depth and empathy as vast as the sky. Gwen used to say,
“Church is sitting on a ski lift on a sunny winter’s days
riding up the mountain listening to birds and seeing snow crystals
sparkling on pine tree limbs!” Off the snow, Gwen loved gatherings
at a family lodge at Hunt Lake in the Adirondacks, where laughter and
camaraderie filled the air for decades! She was a gardener, a baker,
a lover of animals and the outdoors.
Of her many
accomplishments, Gwen was president of the Junior League of
Schenectady, received degrees from the University of Delaware and
Russell Sage College, and contributed her expertise to the Wounded
Warrior Project and the Special Olympics. Her pioneering adaptive
sports curriculums are the foundation of adaptive programs across the
country and led to her induction into the Disabled Sports USA Hall of
Fame in 2001.
Gwen’s
determination to create ever more innovative approaches to enable any
disabled person to access the sport of skiing dovetailed with her
tenacious capacity to fundraise. In 1983 Gwen arrived at Ski Windham
in the Catskills and formed the Adaptive Sports Foundation, a 501c3
corporation which became one of the largest programs of its type in
the country. As the scope and reach of ASF programs expanded, so did
its facilities. An 8,500-sq. ft. adaptive center is named in her
honor, complete with its own chairlift.
Charlie Wood and the
Paul Newman Foundation contacted Gwen and challenged her to transform
what had once been a small Adirondack ski area into a modern
facility, welcoming seriously disabled children to enjoy winter
activities, with a focus on skiing. Ski lifts, snowmaking and
grooming equipment were secured, with ski patrol, ski instructors and
medical staff all volunteering their time and equipment to what is
now known as the Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne, N.Y. In 1998 a new
ski trail, “Gwen’s Fun Run,” was named as a tribute to her
leadership.
In 2021 the adaptive
wing of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Museum, located in
Ishpeming, Mich., was named after her. In 2022 Gwen was given
skiing’s highest honor by being formally inducted into the U.S. Ski
and Snowboard Hall of Fame, in recognition of a lifetime of
achievements within the snow sports industry and adaptive community.
Gwen wore her heart
on her sleeve and shared her wonderful energy, not only with
immediate family, but also with devoted groups of friends, including
Freddie Anderson, her dear friend, mentor, and founder of the
Schenectady Ski School. Their enduring relationship spanned many
decades.
Gwen Allard passed
away peacefully on Tuesday, November 28, with family by her side in
her beloved state of Vermont. She leaves behind her husband, Ray
Allard; son John Bevier and his wife, Lyn; son Rob Bevier and his
wife, Trena; stepson Scott Allard, stepdaughter Cherie Briggs;
granddaughters Isabel, Ellen and Samantha; step-granddaughters
Brittney and Courtney; great-grandsons Bradley and Caleb; and her
sister, Marlyn Martin.
We take comfort in
knowing Gwen’s spirit will live on through her legacy: the
continued joy, independence and freedom her efforts have brought to
so many, and so many yet to come.
In lieu of flowers,
please support your favorite tax-deductible adaptive sports program,
such as Adaptive Sports Foundation, Vermont Adaptive or Double H
Ranch. Your support changes lives for the better.
We will announce a
date for Gwen’s celebration of life after spring skiing ends and
lifts stop carrying skiers to the tops of mountains.
If you would like to
receive information, please email us at gwenamemorial@gmail.com. A
form will autogenerate and be sent to you so you can share your
contact information, allowing us to update you with our celebratory
event details.
This article appears in Dec 6-12, 2023.