Houston Cowan gave up a successful business as a construction contractor in Chicago, Illinois to help paraplegics, amputees, and the visually impaired experience the freedom of snow skiing, horseback riding, fishing and rock climbing. His non-profit organization, Challenge Aspen, also conducts art and music camps for disabled children.

The belief behind Challenge Aspen is that access is the key to participation and that through participation, people with disabilities can break through barriers, unite with family and friends, and gain the self-esteem and confidence necessary to lead fulfilling, productive lives.

Since 1995 when it was founded, Houston has turned Challenge Aspen into a unique year-round program which has become a model around the world. Challenge Aspen has established sister organizations in Russia, Chile, France, Spain, and Iceland.

Houston is an extraordinary individual who devotes himself totally to the goals of this organization. It is amazing to witness the faces of challenged individuals as they come down the ski slopes for the first time. It stretches the bounds of ecstasy to imagine how free they must feel after being confined in a situation that most of us cannot even imagine.

Houston not only participates in these activities, he maintains a strenuous schedule of fundraising and publicizing Challenge Aspen’s mission. He has dedicated his life to helping individuals with disabilities overcome their “limitations”. Houston wants each participant in Challenge Aspen to know what he believes: “if I can do that, I can do anything.”

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