Can you save the world with skiing? No, of course not. Can you offer young people living in a refugee home in Tyrol a welcome change from everyday life in the home with a ski course and perhaps even bring them a little closer to the local culture? Yes, more like it.
The UMF ski project is the personal response of ski instructors Astrid Geiger, Linda Rausch and Mel Presslaber to the much-discussed "refugee crisis". They wanted to do something concrete, not just "stare at the TV and watch the events", get to know the reality of the new arrivals' lives and help them make social contacts. Last winter, they regularly went skiing with a group of unaccompanied refugee minors and things are already going quite well. The boys are mainly interested in skiing as fast as possible, while the ski instructors would like them to brake in a more controlled manner. So it's just a normal ski course!
As part of the project, the young people from the home also spent time with a local school class of the same age. Initial skepticism was quickly forgotten and together they belted out campfire songs and conquered the slopes.
