Former show skier now paralyzed epitomizes adaptive program

By Jennifer Eisenbart

Editor

Joey Matoska’s life changed in a hurry in 2006.

While at a wedding reception on Browns Lake, he dove off a pier and landed head first in shallow water, instantly becoming quadriplegic.

Now, nine years later, he’s got a terrific attitude about his changed life. This summer, he also got to reclaim a part of what he used to do.

On Wednesday, Matoska was one of more than a dozen participants in the final session of the adaptive waterski program that has been held on Wednesdays on Browns Lake at the Aquaducks ski show site.

Matoska rode in what is called a “sit ski” – essentially a low chair on water skis – for the final time this year, getting back to his roots as a former skier for the Aquaducks.

“I’ve been trying to do it as much, all summer, as I can,” said Matoska, who retains some use of his arms and spent his ride Wednesday skimming his fingers through the water.

“It’s refreshing. It’s another taste of life,” he added.

Kurt and Sue Roskopf run the program – called WOW, for Wednesdays on Water – each summer.

The program allows for anyone with a disability to experience water sports firsthand. On Wednesday, members of Shepherds College were involved, and Pearl Gannon – the current Miss Wheelchair Illinois – was also on hand, spending some time in the water after using her pageant platform to start a similar program in Northern Illinois.

Gannon said she knew Roskopf before she did the pageant, and the adaptive waterskiing was a big part of the initiatives she hoped to put into place.

“I’ve worked heavily with Kurt Roskopf and the different programs here,” she explained.

Gannon said she played wheelchair basketball while she was at school, but had been looking for a summer activity when she discovered adaptive waterskiing.

“This is something I can enjoy with able-bodied as well,” Gannon said. “You can get such a myriad of people coming in one day. I love it.

“It’s something I can challenge myself in,” she added.

She said adaptive waterskiing enables people of all levels and abilities.

“You can have no strength whatsoever and go out there and have a blast,” she said. “You can have a ton of strength and be out there doing tricks.

“There’s a variety of things you can be doing,” Gannon added.