Together, we can achieve extraordinary things.

Help us raise $300,000 by December 31 to keep these important programs available to all.

Together, we can achieve extraordinary things. image

Since 1967, Achieve Tahoe has been making outdoor recreation possible for people with disabilities.


Who we are


Achieve Tahoe was started in 1967 by a group of veterans with disabilities who taught themselves to ski and found ways to adapt equipment, since adaptive gear didn’t yet exist. Sixty years later, we’re still pioneers in adaptive sports.

Today, we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit offering year-round adaptive outdoor recreation for people with all kinds of disabilities: skiing and snowboarding, kayaking and paddle boarding, sailing, water skiing, archery, rock climbing, horseback riding, hiking, and programs for military veterans.


Who we serve


Achieve Tahoe serves over 900 individuals with physical, cognitive, and sensory disabilities every year. Participants of every age and ability receive personalized, one-on-one instruction from our trained staff and volunteers.

Nine hundred is a big number, but every one of those individuals has a name and a story. We selected four of them to help you see who we serve.


For Amanda, the mountains have always meant adventure and freedom. After discovering adaptive skiing, she found her way back to the ski slopes she loved growing up. Living with Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) has brought new challenges and changes to her independence, but Amanda hasn't stopped chasing adventure. Through Achieve Tahoe, she's rediscovered her confidence, pushed beyond what she once thought possible, and found new ways to experience the freedom of skiing. Today, she's taking that confidence far beyond the mountain, embracing new experiences, and refusing to let limitations define her life.


"Achieve Tahoe has allowed me to experience a freedom that I thought I had lost."

- Amanda



Ryder learned to ski before he learned to walk independently. With a love for sports and trying new things, he's always ready to give something new a go. Born with Down syndrome, Ryder sometimes needs extra support, but at Achieve Tahoe, he's found a place where he feels safe, encouraged, and free to have fun. With each season, he's grown in confidence, progressing from a ski slider to standing on two skis. And when asked how skiing makes him feel, Ryder's answer says it all: "Happy!"


" I can tell Ryder really feels safe when he's with Achieve Tahoe instructors, and that gives him the freedom to fully enjoy the sport and have fun every time."

- Erica, Ryder's Mom



"To me, sports is the great equalizer. It brings people together..." As a Marine Corps veteran, Kevin understands the power of connection through sports. After a spinal cord injury left him with an incomplete T12 paraplegia, adaptive recreation opened new doors. Introduced to Achieve Tahoe through the VA, Kevin discovered a love of waterskiing and a community that continues to bring him joy. One of his favorite memories is completing an entire circuit around the water ski lake without falling. Today, Kevin encourages others, especially fellow veterans, to get outdoors, try something new, and experience the camaraderie and belonging that come from being part of Achieve Tahoe.

"Achieve Tahoe helps me Achieve the confidence to go out and try new things...and to live my life to the fullest!"

- Kevin


Brooke has been asking to snow ski with Achieve Tahoe ever since she began skiing with Achieve Tahoe in 2019. Every day. Even when it's blazing and 100 degrees outside! Her love for snow skiing and waterskiing is unmistakable. Brooke has autism, and her primary way of communicating is through typing. When she speaks, the words that come out don't always reflect what she wants to say. Her mom says Brooke puts tremendous effort into everything she does, and Achieve Tahoe recognizes that. Instructors take the time to understand her, listen to what she has to say, and make sure she feels heard. For Brooke, Achieve Tahoe is a place where she can be herself, share her voice, and do what she loves!


"Achieve Tahoe is an inspiration to me...I dream daily about my next ski or waterski lesson. My life is completely on a different trajectory because of all the amazing people at Achieve Tahoe."

- Brooke


Why we’re asking now


Opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in sports and outdoor recreation are still far fewer than for everyone else. We work to close that gap, and we never want cost to be the reason someone stays on the sidelines.

This year, we’re raising $300,000 to:

  • Keep lessons and programs affordable, so no one is turned away because of cost
  • Maintain and replace specialized adaptive equipment
  • Train and support the instructors and volunteers who make every session safe and joyful
  • Grow our reach to serve over 1,000 participants in the coming year


Employer Gift Matching


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Our Commitment to Our Donors


We will not sell, share, or trade our donors’ names or personal information with any other entity, nor send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations. This policy applies to all information received by Achieve Tahoe, both online and offline, on any Platform (“Platform”, includes the Achieve Tahoe website and mobile applications), as well as any electronic, written, or oral communications. To the extent any donations are processed through a third-party service provider, our donors’ information will only be used for purposes necessary to process the donation.