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Tanner Jadwin (right) and professional skier David Wise (left) at the Special Olympics Unified ski race Jan. 21. Jadwin won a bronze metal at the competition
Tanner Jadwin has been skiing for more than eight years, and during that time he has continually improved to be one of the best in his category, which he proved Jan. 21 when he won a bronze metal in the Aspen X Games in the Unified Sports Special Olympics in downhill skiing. Jadwin scored 18 seconds on both runs.
“It was pretty surprising at first,” Jadwin told The Salem News of his medal.
“We didn’t even know that he had even placed until we got halfway down the mountain,” said Jadwin’s mother, Cheryl, who was able to attend the event at the top.
“Each participant was only allowed one guest due to COVID,” said Cheryl Jadwin, who hails from Viburnum and Salem. “(Her husband) Travis (Jadwin) wasn’t able to come up with us.”
Tanner Jadwin has stayed busy since that January event. “I participated in regionals this last Friday (Feb. 18),” he said.
Jadwin has participated in Special Olympics competitions for skiing for the past six years. He also competed in competitions in 2018 and 2019.
Jadwin said that one of the things that he liked when he first started skiing was that he’s pretty much the only person in his family who skis.
“This is Tanner’s thing,” said Cheryl Jadwin.
“It’s pretty much my sport,” said Tanner Jadwin. “I didn’t know that I was any good until I started when I was 20.”
“It’s fun. It gets me motivated to be outside and that kind of stuff.”
Tanner Jadwin (right) and professional skier David Wise (left) at the Special Olympics Unified ski race Jan. 21. Jadwin won a bronze metal at the competition
Jadwin also spoke highly of his friends. One friend, a snowboarder named Matt Boyles, also participated at the event. “The two of us were the ones from Aspen (Colorado) that got chosen to go to the X Games from Challenge Aspen,” Tanner said.
An old roommate of Jadwin’s, Chris Guay, was also at the event.
Now, Jadwin has his own place in Glenwood Springs, Colorado. He works for an electronics recycling company. “I disassemble computers,” said Jadwin. Which suits him just fine. “My other hobby is tinkering with stuff.”
Jadwin has familial ties to Salem. Tanner is Travis Jadwin’s son, and Travis is Wayne Jadwin’s son.
Tanner Jadwin mentioned that he preferred the term “differently abled” over “person with special needs.”
“I’m no more special than anyone else,” said Jadwin. But for Jadwin, who has high functioning autism, those terms are more of a philosophical statement.
“I’m not going to get offended if you say ‘person with special needs,’” he said.
“The outer world doesn’t see it in the same way—we call it a disability, but it really is just different levels of ability,” said Cheryl Jadwin. “I could never do what Tanner does with the computers.”
Cheryl Jadwin spoke highly of Challenge Aspen as an organization.
“It was a real neat experience,” she said. “Challenge Aspen puts a lot of work into it. It’s very humbling to see.”
According to the Jadwins, people in the organization really care about making it an excellent experience.
Tanner Jadwin said he plans to keep on skiing and improving. There’s always more skills to learn.
