STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Rep. Muffy Davis will join other Paralympians in taking part in a sledge hockey clinic and exhibition Friday and Saturday at Campion Ice House.

Paralympians will also take part in a wheelchair and standup curling clinic.

The clinic is hosted by the Idaho Chapter of the Challenged Athletes Foundation in partnership with Higher Ground Sun Valley, which is providing the adaptive sports equipment.

Participants will receive coaching and mentoring from members of the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team, the U.S. National Wheelchair Curling Team and Paralympian Muffy Davis.

Sledge hockey clinics will be held from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 6, and 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Saturday, March 7. The athletes will hold an exhibition game during the intermission at the Sun Valley Suns hockey game Saturday night.

Athletes will receive an introduction to curling from 8 to 9 a.m. Saturday, March 7, followed by a wheelchair and standup curling clinic 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Davis will be joined by Andy Yohe, three-time Paralympic sled hockey medalist and U.S. Men’s National Sled Hockey Team Captain Sochi 2014. Other participants include Taylor Lipsett, a three-time Paralympic sled hockey medalist and U.S. Men’s National Sled Hockey Team captain; Rusty Schieber, a U.S. National Wheelchair Curling Team coach, and Mark DePerno, a three-time Paralympian in curling and a member of the U.S. National Wheelchair Curling team.

Idaho-CAF recently hosted its first-ever sledge hockey clinic in partnership with the Idaho Steelheads and Higher Ground at CenturyLink Arena in Boise.

Nearly 20 adaptive athletes of all ages and abilities received coaching and mentoring from the U.S. National Sled Hockey Team before showing off what they’d learned during a exhibition game during intermission of a sold-out Idaho Steelheads game

“With nearly 200,000 Idahoans living with disabilities, these clinics are vital to our state,” said Jennifer Skeesick, the organization’s regional director. “They empower individuals with permanent physical challenges to try something new in a safe space.”

Most medical insurance does not cover adaptive sports equipment, which makes the cost an obstacle for many individuals with physical disabilities. Higher Ground’s ability to provide hockey sleds is a plus. Higher Ground’s Justin Safely said the organization hopes to continue the collaboration.