Stowe’s Tom Hall has become an Epic fixture in the world of adaptive sports, and he has his eyes set on Stowe becoming the “Vail of the East” for adaptive skiing, combining quality and quantity within the resort’s ski school.
Tom is the Adaptive Lead Ski Instructor at Stowe Mountain Resort where he has been teaching for the past nine years. He speaks highly of the strong partnership that has developed between Green Mountain Adaptive Sports and Stowe Mountain Resort. “GMAS is an essential part of that endeavor, providing financial support to both athletes and training to instructors, in addition to the advocacy and familiarization in the broader community,” explains Tom.
Tom Hall with Cynthia Needham and Cullen Robinson.
Tom has skied with dozens of adaptive athletes over the years, including many of the 45 athletes who receive scholarships from Green Mountain Adaptive Sports annually. He has also been a member of the Green Mountain Adaptive Board of Directors for eight years. He hopes to see the GMAS program and the win-win relationship with Stowe Mountain Resort continue to grow and provide some of the best adaptive instructions in the East.
For Giving Tuesday on December 2, Tom and GMAS are asking the community to come together to help raise $20,000 to support Green Mountain Adaptive Sports. The funds from this important campaign mainly benefit the athletes in the form of scholarships. You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Climbing the Ranks and Upping the Stakes
Tom has skied with Patrick for multiple years and has a special bond with the Lewis family.
Tom is 59 years old today (November 22, 2025). A 20+ year Army veteran, he has lived all over the world to retire from active duty in Vermont in 2013. He then started volunteering at Wounded Warrior ski events to share his love for skiing with the veterans. “It has led me to a very unanticipated, but extremely rewarding second career,” explains Tom.
Quiet by nature, Tom is a hard worker and has meticulously climbed through the “ski instructor” ranks, earning his PSIA Level 2 in both Alpine and Adaptive in each of the six adaptive disciplines — visual impairment, cognitive delay, mono- ski, bi-ski, three track and four track.
“Initially,” explains Tom, “I occasionally supported adaptive lessons at Stowe. With increasing experience and training, I’ve assumed more responsibility for leading complex adaptive lessons and training new instructors to teach adaptive lessons.”
Tom has helped a lot of skiers regain their independence through adaptive ski lessons.
Tom has participated in trainings at the Move United Ski Spectacular in Breckenridge for multiple years. For the past two years, he took part in the event as a coach, sharing his knowledge in the Learn to Ski program, teaching skiers with disabilities how to navigate a bi-ski down Breckenridge’s slopes.
Last year, GMAS was able to sponsor three Stowe instructors to attend the camp. All of them earned their PSIA certifications. Read the story here. This year, GMAS will be represented by three instructors, including Emma “Skizzy” Huffman, Vail Adaptive Program Supervisor at Stowe.
Stowe TetraSki, an Added Offering to the Stowe Adaptive Program
Tom, Allie, Cathy and Sterling are ready to tackle a second season with the Stowe TetraSki and the SnowKart Program.
The Stowe Adaptive Ski and Ride Program is on an upward trajectory, thanks in part to GMAS. Last year, through grants and fundraising efforts, GMAS and NDAA acquired one of the 25 TetraSkis in the world, and the only one in Vermont. It is used at Stowe Mountain Resort.
Tom Hall, Allie Peterson and Sterling Anderson enrolled in a GMAS sponsored four-day training with professional coaches from the University of Utah and became TetraSki and SnowKart certified instructors. Over the course of the 2025 ski season, the three instructors led 58 lessons in 33 days to serve 23 athletes with complex disabilities. Not bad for an inaugural year!
“When I first saw a TetraSki, I was blown away by the technology, seeing what it could do for skiers that struggled with traditional bi-skis. That said, I thought it was going to serve a very small niche of the adaptive community, which was problematic, given the price tag of the equipment. However, I have come to really appreciate the number of committed skiers that we have been able to support; even more telling is the waiting list. The demand is there, limited more by capacity than the number of skiers,” notes Tom.
As of now, for the 2026 season, 48 days of programming have already been scheduled for this program alone. 24 athletes with complex disabilities will participate in 85 lessons. People can be added to the waitlist by filing out this form.
Inspired by Adaptive Athletes
Adaptive athletes come in all sizes and ages, and Tom is inspired by them all.
Tom’s favorite part of the job is the “first-hand exposure to the motivation that adaptive athletes bring to their participation every day. This is a constant source of inspiration for me,” he states.
“I believe that, through adaptive skiing and sports in general, there is a path to participation for so many people — only a fraction of whom actually get out and ski, kayak or cycle…whatever. More potential adaptive athletes, their families, caregivers or providers need to tap into the inspiration and motivation that is so evident in those who do get out there,” explains Tom.
“Right now, our community struggles between capacity and demand. I want to demonstrate the need to build greater capacity while serving the demand that is out there,” explains Tom.
Annual Fundraisers Provide Ski Camp for Vets, Training and Adaptive Equipment
Tom will be challenging himself again on March 17th by skiing as many vertical feet as possible in a single day.
GMAS holds the CommUNITY Challenge fundraiser annually to raise funds for the adaptive sport programs. Four years ago, Tom Hall set out to raise additional funds for GMAS by skiing as many vertical feet as possible in one day at Stowe Mountain Resort.
The inaugural “Vertical Challenge“, now called the GMAS Winter Challenge has been held annually since 2022 and is an important fundraiser for GMAS.
Tom’s resilience and determination have led him to ski a ridiculous amount of vertical feet one day a year for the past four years to raise funds for GMAS. His efforts have funded a ski camp for veterans at Stowe Mountain Resort, the purchase of adaptive ski equipment including a new monoski and sliders. The funds also helped finance instructor trainings, and expenses related to the TetraSki. Read the full story here.
Tom and adaptive athlete Carol Brunjes share a nice moment and good laughs together.
“I am looking forward to my fifth annual vertical challenge on Monday, March 17, 2026. Last year was tough for fundraising across the board, so I want to get back on track with a strong effort that will resonate with more donors. Consistent with my above goals, I want to channel that fundraising towards instructor training and stabilizing TetraSki ‘s presence at Stowe. Regarding the latter, beyond the equipment’s price tag, there is a logistics infrastructure that has to be in place for us to reliably offer those lessons beyond the current year,” explains Tom.
Support Your Community with a Year-End Donation
Please help us finish the year strong and consider making a year-end tax-deductible donation to support GMAS and Tom Hall. https://greenmtnadaptive.org/campaign/gmas-community-fundraiser-2025/
by Pascale Savard
November 22, 2025