Flowers Volunteers in Eagle Mount Program
11/11/2009 3:00:00 PM | Athletics
November 11, 2009 - Flowers Volunteers in Eagle Mount Program
By Jeff Friedman, Jaeger Civic Intern
Erika Flowers, a '12 on the Nordic Ski Team, volunteered in a program called Eagle Mount this past summer in her hometown of Bozeman, MT. Eagle Mount is a program that provides recreational and therapeutic exercise and activities for the mentally and physically disabled. In addition to maintaining her training and working, Flowers was able to find time to volunteer for Eagle Mount, specifically with their equestrian and swimming programs. Though Flowers is fortunate to not have any family members who are physically or mentally disabled, she decided to become involved in the program in order to help people's lives. Flowers commented that “I became involved with the program in eighth grade because the riding center was within biking distance of my house and I was interested in helping out in the horse stalls. After working in the barn for a year they offered to let me help with the participants in the program even though I was too young. Since then I have helped with various aspects of the program every summer and in the fall sometimes as well.” Flowers also reiterates how she has developed some amazing relationships with the program participants, all of whom are unique and special in both their physical and mental states. Flowers recounts that “this past summer I worked with a man who had an amputated arm in addition to a mental disability and another man who was blind and had some form of autism.”
Whenever Flowers is back home and volunteers, she says that the people in the program make jokes throughout riding practice and invariably make everyone laugh and smile all the time. Despite having difficult disorders or injuries, the people in the program are very cheerful and positive. This is one of the main reasons that Flowers is excited to go back home and visit the Eagle Mount Program when she can. Flowers said that “Every time I volunteer I am surprised by not only the physical abilities of these disadvantaged individuals but also by their exceptional ability to love and enjoy life and appreciate those simple things, such as having the opportunity to go swimming or horseback riding. The experience is meaningful to me in the sense that it provides a window into the lives of those who truly live in the moment.” And while Flowers is helping the amputees or mentally-ill patients in horseback riding or swimming, she says that in the end “I probably gain more from them than they do from me.” Ultimately, Flowers had a great experience volunteering for Eagle Mount this summer and is very excited to become even more involved in the future. Her interactions with the participants in Eagle Mount have been “uniquely inspiring and challenging.”
