About Caitlin

Caitlin Sarubbi is a rising star in the adaptive ski-racing world with a goal of medaling in the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver. I am 19 years old, and was born with Ablepharon Macrostomia that left her visually impaired. I was born without eyelids and with other facial deformities. I have undergone 57 reconstructive surgeries.

On February 22, 1990, Cathy and John Sarubbi, a New York City firefighter, welcomed their first of five children. The pregnancy went exactly according to plan and everything was great, unfortunately, it wasn't smooth sailing from there. The doctors didn't even think I was going to live through the night. I had my first surgery when I was only three days old to try to salvage whatever eyesight I had left. I am fortunate and blessed to have the top surgeons in the world as my doctors. I will be forever grateful for the doctors who saved my life and inspired me to follow in their footsteps.

You may ask yourself, how did a city girl from New York ever become a ski racer. My father is a New York City firefighter, and after 9/11 my family was invited as special guests to Breckenridge, CO by an organization called Disabled Sports USA for their annual Hartford Ski Spectacular. This event changed my life forever. Skiing unleashed a feeling of freedom in me that I had never experienced before. I felt like I was on top of the world, and that nothing could ever stand in my way. For the first time I felt there was no boundaries, no limits, no disability. I was free to do whatever I wanted. From that week on, I found a new passion...ski racing. I was fortunate enough to join the family of The Adaptive Sports Foundation, which served as the best place to continue this incredible journey. Windham Mountain, home of the Adaptive Sports Foundation is the perfect environment to learn how to ski.

With the goal of making the US Adaptive Team and attending a good college in mind, I spent high school balancing arigorous course load and a highly demanding ski racing schedule. In junior year, I kicked both my academics and skiing into high gear. I started training with the Challenge AspenCompetition Team. All the while, trying to meet the academic qualifications necessary for admission to an Ivy League University.

In April 2008, all my hard work paid off, ironically, all within 3 days. On April 1 st , I received my acceptance letter from Harvard University admitting me as a member of the class of 2012, and on April 3 rd , I got the call that I had qualified for the US Adaptive Ski Team. It was one of the happiest weeks of my life. I realized that everything that I had sacrificed over the past few years and all my hard work had all paid off. I realized that with determination, hard work and a great support system, I could achieve anything I set my mind to.

In the fall of 2008, I completed my first semester at Harvard. With Harvard's blessing, I am now taking a leave of absence so I can train and race full time with the US Adaptive Ski Team to accomplish my next goal, medaling in the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver, BC. I will return to Harvard after the Paralympics to continue working on my dream of going to medical school and becoming a surgeon

I am so grateful for all I am given that I also believe strongly in giving back to others. I volunteered in NYU Hospital's Craniofacial Center where I works with children and families and offers them insight and understanding. I am also an avid volunteer in the ski world and teach newly, permanently amputee vets coming back from Iraq how to ski and water ski. I also speak as an athlete ambassador for the Hartford Insurance Company, the Adaptive Sports Foundation and Disabled Sports USA

The goal of medaling in the 2010 Paralympic Games comes with a enormous financial responsibility, and being the oldest of five children and a New York City firefighter's daughter, creates a necessary need to raiseoutside funds. Many people wonder how a blind skier is able to race down a hill at speeds that can reach 60 mph. In order to compete, I require the assistance of a guide, who skis in front of me and acts as my eyes through the race course. We wear microphone headsets so we can communicate more easily through the gates. Not only do we have the same concerns as any other racer, including making all the gates and skiing as fast as possible, but the fact that we are traveling at such speeds only 10 feet apart, adds even more risk. It was challenging for me to find a person who was willing to put their own life on hold to share my dreams and goals for the next two years. I have a current budget of $106,000.00, which includes my guide's salary, and travel expenses, training fees and equipment for us both. I currently raised $70,000.00 through my own fundraising efforts.