Will Fowler Skates Above Challenges to Achieve his Dreams
When Will Fowler stepped on the ice by himself for the first time, no one knew what to expect. The 8-year-old, afflicted with a disease that keeps him from developing muscle on the backs of his legs, has to wear braces to walk and can’t jump or bend his knees. But he was determined to skate.
His mother, Ashley Fowler, used to push him around the ice on a bucket so that he could “skate” with his hockey-playing older brother, Grant. It was during one of these sessions that a staff member at the Ford Ice Center in Antioch, Tennessee, told her about Scott’s All Stars, an Adaptive Skating program designed for boys like Will.
Ashley said Will loved every minute of his time on the ice. He would laugh as he fell, picking himself back up and trying again and again.
“Once he started there was never any looking back,” she said, reminiscing on Will’s first day at Scott’s All Stars. “It was full speed ahead.”
Fast-forward just a few months, and Will is smiling with his sled hockey team, holding up a gold medal from his first tournament.
“For Will, the victory with the team was just representative of his own personal victory of his physical challenges,” Ashley said. “It was great to celebrate what he can do.”
Will was introduced to the Nashville Jr. Sled Predators after learning basic hockey skills in class. Program coordinator and coach Cody Howard noticed how “he lit up at the opportunity to play hockey.” He noticed Will had a difficult time balancing on his skates while holding a stick, so Howard called a contact to get Will in a sled.
“Within a month or so he was bugging around the ice, trying to body check people,” Howard said. “He’s not scared at all. He just goes for it.”
The big team win is not the end for Will’s sled hockey journey, and he has big dreams of heading to the Paralympics one day.
“He doesn’t see any boundaries or barriers,” his mother said. “On the ice, it’s like all of his struggles are gone.”
Will’s success story is just one of many that come from Adaptive Skating programs, and the Scott’s All Stars program at the Ford Ice Center is one of those programs.
Staff with the Scott Hamilton Skating Academy saw the need for an Adaptive Skating program when a few skaters with disabilities signed up for a regular Basic Skills class. With the crowd and noise, Howard noticed that the atmosphere could be overwhelming for those kids. That’s when he got to work.
The program got its start after the Scott Hamilton Skating Academy received two grants, including the 2017–18 U.S. Figure Skating Community Development Grant, to help develop curriculum designed for individuals with disabilities. Officially launched in January 2018, Scott’s All Stars has served more than 30 skaters with a range of disabilities, both mental and physical, in a sensory-friendly, safe environment.
“By starting this program, we are able to ensure that everyone is truly welcome,” Howard said. “Being able to see the impact we have on their lives first-hand is why I’m always so proud.”
With Learn to Skate USA, powered by Toyota, everyone can learn to skate. Visit LearnToSkateUSA.com to find a program near you.
Nashville is home to the Scott Hamilton Skating Academy and professional hockey team Nashville Predators, and soon it will play host to the 2022 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships. The competition at Bridgestone Arena will be the final qualifying event before the selection of the 2022 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team. Visit USFigureSkating.org to learn more.
