95-year-old blind veteran skis for the first time in 80 years and yodels all the way down

Harley Welsh, 95, was ex‐ cited to try sit skiing for the first time.

"It's never too late to try something new," he said.

Welsh, who is blind, spent more than a decade in the army and served in the Kore‐ an War.

On Friday, he went down Optimist Hill in Saskatoon.

"You only live once," he said before going up the hill.

WATCH | 95-year-old blind Korean War veteran yodels his way down ski hill:

Welsh said the ride was thrilling. He yodeled the en‐ tire way down.

"It was great. I was trying to concentrate on the yo‐ deling so I wasn't scared. A little bumpy but OK," Welsh said after his first run. He went down the hill at least seven more times after that.

Welsh was supported by Jaimie Smith-Windsor, presi‐ dent of the Saskatchewan

Adaptive Snow Ski Club.

Smith-Windsor said that helping Welsh and others from the Sherbrooke Com‐ munity Centre ski is one of the highlights of the year at the club. It's part of an annu‐ al event where the club tries to introduce as many people as possible to the joys of downhill skiing.

"To go down the hill for the first time with a new ski‐ er, to hear their joy, to hear them yodel, to see their smiles, and to hear everyone cheer, I think that's just such an amazing thing," SmithWindsor said.

"One of the questions we always ask new skiers is did you ever picture yourself doing this? And they embrace it. And I think that's just such an amazing thing."

Eric Anderson, communi‐ cations lead for Sherbrooke

Community Centre, said putting the event together is a blast.

"It provides so much joy and wellbeing to residents, and I would say to staff and to family members as well," Anderson said.