Achieve Tahoe

We're working to raise $30,000 through Give Back Tahoe to build health, confidence, and independence in people with disabilities through outdoor recreation.

 Your support will make all the difference!

About Achieve Tahoe

Achieve Tahoe builds health, confidence, and independence in people with disabilities through outdoor recreation. Since 1967, we have been providing adaptive recreation so that people with disabilities and their loved ones can access the amazing outdoors of Tahoe. Our programs serve individuals with cognitive, sensory, and physical disabilities ranging from autism spectrum disorder to visual impairments to spinal cord injuries. Over the past few years, we have been working to increase our programming so we can serve anyone who wants to participate at any time. 

Your Impact

Year over year, demand for adaptive programs continues to grow and we’re working hard to keep up. To meet demand, we need to train more volunteers, enhance our facilities and locations, and expand our programs. Our continued growth is the key to giving people with disabilities from all backgrounds the chance to experience outdoor recreation in the Lake Tahoe region.  Your gift today will help us reach these goals!

Our staff and volunteers are dedicated to creating a positive, long-lasting experience for all participants and their family members. Achieve Tahoe is more than an organization; it is a community that encourages and supports its members to believe "If I can do this, I can do anything!"

Read Ricci's story below to see how impactful your gift will be.

Ricci Kilgore: A Journey of Resilience, Determination, and Motherhood

Growing up in the Sierra Nevada where there were endless opportunities for recreation, Ricci Kilgore’s life revolved around sports, especially skiing and running. As an all-star athlete in high school, she dreamed of Olympic glory, earning a full scholarship to Idaho State University for pole vaulting. But everything changed in an instant when she was driving back to her dorm after a pole vault meet. The car hit black ice and Ricci was thrown from the passenger’s seat. She was left paralyzed from the waist down, shattering her dreams and sense of identity.

When Achieve Tahoe invited Ricci to join their adaptive ski program and try sit skiing, a glimmer of hope emerged. “Some of my favorite memories were taking adaptive ski lessons at Alpine Meadows with the legendary Bill Bowness. He would push me to my limits, which made me a better mono skier!” she recalls.

By 2008, Ricci transformed from a survivor into a fierce competitor on the US Paralympic Alpine Skiing national team. As she was training for the Paralympics, she learned she was pregnant—a miraculous surprise after being told she might never have children due to complications from her accident. Through it all, Ricci’s determination shone brightly. Just a few months after giving birth, she continued to train and went on to compete in the 2010 Vancouver Paralympic games and placing 6th in giant slalom. She went on to place second in both super G and downhill that same year.

These days, Ricci focuses on her dual role as an athlete and a mother. She serves as an inspiration to her children, JoJo (16) and Walker (7). Just this summer, she and her kids participated in Achieve Tahoe’s adaptive summer activities including the climbing and equestrian programs.

Thank you for your support!