Board of Directors
The Whistler Adaptive Sports Program is governed by an elected Board of Directors. The composition of the Board of Directors is determined at an Annual General Meeting. A full time, year-round Executive Director oversees the operation of the organization.
WASP President: Ed Lee
Ed is passionate about enabling people with disabilities to participate in sports and to ensure that the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program delivers a quality program. Ed has been part of WASP for a number of years in different capacities (full-time instructor, volunteer instructor and member of the Training committee). And now Ed is very excited to serve as its president.
Ed is a Level 1 CSIA and CADS Level 2 instructor. He is a professional engineer and he and his family live in Vancouver.
WASP Vice President: Sarah MacLeod
Sarah has a strong belief that introducing athletes with mental and physical disabilities to skiing can help them gain confidence and determination that will extend into multiple facets of their lives. With this purpose, she has been a volunteer ski instructor with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program since 2002. Sarah also coaches alpine skiing for the Special Olympics BC in Whistler and at Cypress Mountain as well as sitting on the Executive of the Whistler Valley local since 2006. She is a CSIA Level 1, CADS Level 2a, CSCF Level 1, and Alpine Race Official Level 1. Sarah joined the WASP Board of Directors in 2008 as Secretary before becoming Vice President in 2009. When not on the slopes, Sarah works for, Pacific CoastCom, a TELUS Mobility dealer in the Lower Mainland selling corporate wireless solutions.
WASP Treasurer: John Walker
John is a chartered accountant and is currently Chief Financial Officer of Black Press, a privately owned community and daily newspaper publisher with approximately 150 publications in BC, Alberta, Washington, Hawaii and Ohio.
As a part time resident of Whistler for 25 years he has been a Level 3 Alpine Race Official and a past Director, President and Committee Chair of the local junior alpine race club.
John has been the Treasurer for three years.
WASP Secretary: Bianca Matheson
Bianca moved to Whistler, from Australia in 1992. A qualified Sports & Manipulative Physiotherapist; Bianca has also undertaken coaching, first aid and executive MBA studies. Bianca owns and operates Peak Performance Physiotherapy in Whistler and Squamish Physiotherapy and also contracts to the Winter Olympic Institute of Australia. Bianca is also currently working with Canadian Sports Centre Pacific on their athlete development and “Own the Podium” programs. Bianca has worked with national and international disabled athletes and appreciates the difficulties these athletes have overcome to get where they are. Bianca firmly believes getting children and adults with disabilities into sporting activities will improve their quality of life and provide healthy social outlets to build life skills. She is passionate about healing and helping those with injuries and disabilities and is a firm believer of the goals WASP is aiming to achieve on a more local level.
Director: Steve Bayly
Steve Bayly has been active in the Real Estate Development and Construction industry in British Columbia for over thirty years. His main business activity today is in Whistler as a commercial/industrial landlord. Steve is well known in Whistler as a Founding Director of Whistler Housing Authority and is currently a Director of the Whistler 2010 Olympic Athletes’ Village Development. Steve Bayly is a past Director of Whistler Mountain Ski Club and a past Chairman of Whistler’s Advisory Planning Commission. Steve Bayly is in his second year on the W.A.S.P. Board. Although legally blind as a result of advanced stages of retinitis pigmentosa he still is active and enjoys skiing.
Director: James Peters
This will be my 3rd season as a full-time instructor with Whistler Blackcomb coaching in the Whistler Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program. It is a great honour to now be a member on the Board of Directors of the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program. It is my hope that my direct contact with so many of our members in the ski and snowboard program, as well as knowing and working with several of the participants, that I will be able to offer a unique perspective to the board.
In my professional acumen, I am coached sports and business most of my life. I am a CSIA 2, CASI 1 and CADS 2A on the mountain side of coaching skills. I have achieved TCCP 4 coaching with the Canadian Professional Golf Association and am currently developing a business to coach men in their lives along with the national launch of my first book, “How to Get Your Wife in Bed.” I have owned a company in the UK that was based around fundraising for several small organizations.
It my greatest hope, that my past experiences will lend well to the growth of the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program. I look forward to assisting in the fundraising efforts and adding my two cents whenever it can be useful.
Director: Donovan Tildesley
Director: Jennifer Erickson
Director (Whistler-Blackcomb): Rob McSkimming
A Level 4 CSIA Ski Instructor, Rob is Vice President of Business Development at Whistler Blackcomb, where he is responsible for the operation of the largest Ski & Snowboard School in North America.
His career in the ski industry began in the Ski School in 1980 on Blackcomb, and has continued through various positions including Director of Sales for Whistler Blackcomb.
In addition to the successful operation of the Ski & Snowboard School, he is the driving force behind the phenomenon of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and is part of the 3-member Board of Directors of Events Whistler, which is responsible for bringing many special events to the resort of Whistler, including the Crankworx Festival.
Rob has played a pivotal role between WASP and Whistler Blackcomb for the last 9 years and been instrumental in growing the relationship.
Director: Valerie Plourde, PFP
Valerie is the Branch Manager for Scotiabank (Whistler and Pemberton). She has been with Scotiabank for 14 years. She recently moved to Whistler in March 2006, from Calgary, where she had lived for 10 years. While in Calgary, she had the opportunity and pleasure to serve on and be involved with many committees, charities and community events. She is pleased to be representing Scotiabank on the Board of Directors for WASP and look forward to being involved in the communities.
Disabled Skiers Association of BC (DSABC) Representative: Heidi Rode
Heidi has lived in Whistler for over twenty years and is raising a family of three boys along with her husband, Brian Rode, a senior instructor in the Whistler Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program. Heidi also works for the Question Newspaper as the Office Manager. Heidi brings a strong background of serving on volunteer Board of Directors and will be representing the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program as its appointed representative to the Board of Directors of the Disabled Skiers Association of BC (DSABC). “I came to the Ski and Ride program quite selfishly - initially I joined simply because I wanted to have something other than family to talk to my husband about! I never dreamed how much I would love it or how much of an impact it would have on my general outlook in life,” says Heidi of her desire to become involved in the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program. “ The Whistler Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Program has truly been an amazing experience for me.” Heidi is now a Level 2A Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing instructor. Although she is unable to teach skiing this season, due to family commitments she jumped at the chance to work with the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program as the representative on its skiing, grass-roots snowboarding and adaptive alpine ski racing Provincial Sports Organization.