Alison Larsen and Will Becker after a day of training.
Alison Larsen, third-year student in physical therapy in the School of Allied Health Professions, and her husband, Will Becker, have been active in the outdoors for years. They picked up skiing while living in Colorado from 2000-2006. Volunteering with the Mt. Crescent ski patrol in Iowa became a natural extension after an introduction by several friends on the patrol.
“After we moved back to Omaha,” said Larsen, “my husband joined the patrol during the 2008-09 season. I waited until this year to join because the second year of PT school was challenging enough without adding extra activities to my plate.”
She started her training this last fall (2009) and is currently completing her candidate training. “My PT education was very helpful during the Outdoor Emergency Care course required for all patrollers. My previous experience with patients in clinicals has also made me comfortable with treating injuries that we get out at the ski hill. I’ve really enjoyed my time with the patrol so far, working with a bunch of really diverse and interesting folks and keeping active at the same time.”
The Mt. Crescent Ski Area is only 15 minutes from Omaha and offers skiing, snowboarding, and tubing.
Photograph contributed by Greg Higgins.
Great article about my daughter and son-in-law. Thanks