But when even that fails, he heads north on a snowy road straight into his past.
Retracing a route from his days as a champion skier, before an ugly accident cost him his skiing career, he finds himself back at a ski school that specializes in second chances, hoping there's one waiting for him.
It's going to take a miracle. But Jamie has come to a place where miracles still happen.
A place called Hope Mountain.
The ski school in Hope Mountain is based on the two dozen or so actual ski schools around the United States that devote themselves to helping people with disabilities learn to ski. The schools are funded by donations and staffed by volunteers who fit custom made skis to each skier, then spend as much time as they need in order to teach their students the joy of skiing. The skiers include blind people, young children with spina bifida, and adults who've been paralyzed in accidents -- and they can all learn to ski. In fact, there are now over 10,000 students at adaptive ski schools around the country. The motto of Disabled Sports USA is "If I Can Do This, I Can Do Anything". It's in this setting of courage and determination that Jamie Brooks searches for the strength to cope with his losses.
