UMass Dartmouth Professor Competing in Paralympic-Style Ski Race

Friday is a big day for Andrew Revell.

The UMass Dartmouth associate professor is in Utah this weekend to compete as the only adaptive skier from the Northeast region in the world's first Paralympic-style race for complex physical challenges.

Thursday, Revell surveyed the terrain on Powder Mountain and took a test run (pictured above) on the course, earning a time of 48.34 seconds.

The race, which will take place in Eden, Utah, will have competitors using the world's only joystick-controlled ski unit, called the Tetraski, and the French-designed SnowKary by Tessier, according to UMass. The racecourse and competition were designed by Tanja Karl, a 12-time Paralympic Nordic Skier and gold medalist.

Revell has been involved in adaptive alpine skiing since 2018 as part of the Adaptive Sports Partners of the North Country in Franconia, NH.  The alpine program is based at Cannon Mountain and serves all ages.

Revell's interest in sports has grown since discovering the joy of skiing.  The snow sport has led to exploring other adaptive sports, including his now regular participation in the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) cycling events.

"My life goal is to be a role model for my children of what anyone can do regardless of their challenges, so I ride routinely," Revell said.

Revell is the director of the Ora DeJesus Center for Gerontology at UMass Dartmouth, which makes him a natural advocate for promoting healthy living for people of all ages, particularly aging adults.

“One of the main goals for the Ora DeJesus Center for Gerontology is to advance practical approaches for adults and older adults to improve their health and well-being,” Revell said.

Associate Professor Revell teaches Psychology of Adulthood & Aging, Research Methods, Graduate Statistics, and Cognitive Health and Changes with Age at UMass Dartmouth.

Revell said he hopes to see both adaptive skiing and adaptive cycling become even more mainstream as awareness grows about the sports.