Big Waves Rides the Courage Classic to Support ARCH

2023 was the Big Waves Team's 5th year riding in the Courage Classic up on Copper Mountain in Colorado.

The Courage Classic aims to create a better world for children, dollar by dollar, pedal by pedal, one mountain pass at a time. Founded in 1990, the Courage Classic is the single largest event bringing people together to raise money for Children’s Colorado.

Routes vary from 12–79 miles through the beautiful Rocky Mountains, starting and ending in Copper Mountain.

Ashley Wilkinson alone rode 79 miles the first day and 24 miles the next day! The Big Waves Team rode to support the ARCH (Adaptive Recreation for Children's Health) Program at the Children's Hospital of Colorado.

The team was made up of Ashley Wilkinson, Vaughn Bigelow, Geoffry Brooksher, Joyce Crocker, Amy Hennion, Jeff Schaefer, and Sean Whalen, who raised $5,770. All of which went towards helping and expanding the program and providing financial assistance to program participants. 

ARCH provides recreational resources and programs for children, teens, and young adults with physical disabilities. By focusing on individual abilities, this program seeks to help kids develop skills that lead to a lifetime of healthy leisure and awareness.

Started in 1967 to help individuals with amputations get involved in downhill skiing, ARCH was one of the first programs of its kind in the United States. The first group of ARCH skiers included young patients from Children’s Colorado and veterans from the Vietnam War being treated at Fitzsimons Army Hospital. Today, there are programs all over the world based on our current model. 

ARCH is near and dear to Big Waves heart, as Asa has participated in the ARCH ski program for several winters as well as Camp Erin.

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