Our family’s story with Green Mountain Adaptive Sports
My dad, Michael Dougherty, has spent his whole life showing up for other people.
He served with FDNY, Engine 290 Ladder 103, where he was honored with a medal for his bravery during a rescue in a burning building. A couple of years later, a serious injury on the job led to emergency brain surgery. He retired from the FDNY in his mid-thirties, then built an electric business and later served for many years on the Stowe Police Department.
Michael served with FDNY, Engine 290 Ladder 103, where he was honored with a medal for his bravery during a rescue in a burning building.
Public service wasn’t simply something Dad did. It was part of who he was.
We always said Dad had the energy of ten people. He loved being active, challenging himself, and finding something to do. He played baseball for fun, skied, and ran regularly, completing several marathons along the way. He was always moving, always going, always finding a way forward.
In 2017, Alzheimer’s changed the course of his life, and it became time for him to retire again.
The disease has made many things harder for Dad—his memory, his communication, and his physical abilities. But one thing it hasn’t taken away is his capacity for joy.
And sometimes, all it takes is the right moment to bring that joy to the surface.
That’s where GMAS comes in
Through GMAS, Dad has had the chance to swim, ski, and kayak. There’s something about being outside, moving his body, feeling the water or snow, and doing things that once came so naturally to him. Sometimes it feels like his body remembers even when his mind doesn’t. The familiar movements come back. His face lights up. For a little while, there’s just Dad—doing something he loves.
Michael is back skiing with the GMAS program and loves his time spent with the supportive coaches at Stowe Mountain Resort.
Those moments mean everything to our family.
And none of them would happen without the people who make them possible.
The coaches and support team at GMAS bring an extraordinary level of care, patience, and dedication to what they do. Weeze Hayes, Laurie Silva, Cathy Webster, and so many others have become part of Dad’s journey, creating opportunities for him to experience movement, connection, confidence, and, most importantly, joy.
Local partners like The Swimming Hole and Stowe Mountain Resort help make those experiences possible, too. We’re deeply grateful to everyone who helps create a place where Dad can still discover something new—or rediscover something he has loved for years.
Our family has a group text with me, my mom Lynn, my sister Justine, and my brother Michael. It’s often filled with photos of Dad: in the pool, on the snow, out on the water.
Every photo tells the same story.
Dad had a good day.
The Dougherty Family likes to race together at the Heady Trotter.
And when you’re navigating Alzheimer’s, a good day can be everything.
These experiences remind us that even when a disease changes what someone can do, it doesn’t erase who they are or their ability to experience happiness. Dad is still the person who loves being active, who loves the outdoors, who loves a challenge, and who has always found a way to keep moving forward.
It takes a village to create these moments, and we’re incredibly grateful that Green Mountain Adaptive Sports is part of ours.
Thank you, GMAS, for giving Dad opportunities to move, explore, connect, and—most of all—to find his joy.
Kaitlin Dougherty Grove
You can increase access to GMAS program for people like Michael by making a donation to GMAS. Thanks for the support!
Posted on Sept 24, 2026
by Pascale Savard