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SNOWMASS VILLAGE, Colo. (March 31, 2008) - Sixty-seven veterans
wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan are among 400 disabled veterans who
converged here yesterday to kick off the world's largest disabled
ski clinic.
Deputy Veterans Affairs Secretary Gordon H. Mansfield and Robert
T. Reynolds, national commander of Disabled American Veterans,
opened the 22nd National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic
last night.
The annual six-day program, jointly sponsored by the Department
of Veterans Affairs and Disabled American Veterans, helps disabled
veterans discover abilities many never knew they had or thought
they'd lost.
Mansfield and Reynolds, both disabled veterans themselves,
applauded participants for their willingness to push beyond their
comfort zones to discover the challenges they can overcome.
"I encourage you to make the most of this," Reynolds told
first-timers at the event, encouraging them to follow the lead of
veterans of past winter sports clinics. "Look for inspiration in
your fellow veterans, and you will find it quickly," he said.
Reynolds recalled his own first experience at the clinic after a
disabling skydiving accident left him withdrawn and doubtful about
his capabilities. He said he remembers "leaving this mountain a
changed man," with a new sense of freedom and self-worth. "I hope
the same sense of hope and confidence I gained through this event
will reach you as well," he told the veterans.
Mansfield saluted the participants for applying the same
qualities of dedication, pride and self-worth they demonstrated
during their military service to their rehabilitation.
"You met and adapted to life-changing circumstances," he said.
"You are a source of pride to all Americans. … You have already
demonstrated that you are men and women of great courage."
The winter sports clinic is open to U.S. military veterans with
disabilities ranging from spinal cord injuries and orthopedic
amputations to visual impairment and neurological conditions.
Veterans who receive health care at a VA medical facility get first
priority to attend.
Participants learn adaptive skiing with mono-skis and bi-skis,
as well as Alpine and Nordic skiing techniques. More advanced
skiers get innovative race training designed to identify
world-class disabled skiers with potential to become Paralympic
athletes.
But the clinic isn't limited to skiing. Participants are
introduced to a variety of other activities and sports, including
rock climbing, snowshoeing, golf, scuba diving, trapshooting,
snowmobiling, sled hockey and fencing. Between their scheduled
sports activities, the veterans will enjoy concerts, dances,
gondola rides, a trip to a local hot springs, and educational and
instructional workshops.
From start to finish, the clinic gives disabled veterans the
red-carpet treatment. Yesterday afternoon, local restaurants hosted
a "Taste of Snowmass" event in the town center, treating
participants to their specialties. Douglas Mercatoris, Snowmass
Village mayor, proclaimed the veterans honorary citizens and called
them "the guardian angels of Snowmass Village, Colorado and the
United States."
Sandy Trombetta, the VA's national director for the clinic, said
that even with their biggest turnout ever, the clinic staffers will
continue strive to reach every participant in an individual
way.
"We want each and every one person to have the best experience
they could hope for," he said.
Trombetta said he had no idea that his concept of a winter
sports clinic would blossom into such a resounding success. "It's
the greatest show on earth," he said, not just for the
transformation it evokes in participants, but also in the way it
brings together people who want to support them.
"None of this is possible without the power of all the people
who make it happen," Trombetta said. He pointed to the sponsors who
help finance the activities and volunteers who return year after
year, giving up vacation time and paying their own way to get here
to work with the veterans. Among them are more than 200 certified
adaptive ski instructors, including current and former members of
the U.S. Disabled Ski Team.
"They all want to be part of something bigger than themselves,"
he said. "What you see here is people really giving back to others.
It still leaves me awestruck."
Veterans Affairs Secretary James B. Peake shared Trombetta's
enthusiasm about the benefits the clinic brings veterans and the
forum it creates for them to support and inspire each other. He is
slated to attend the closing ceremonies and award presentations
April 4.
"Each year this clinic enhances the physical, social and
emotional well-being of the veterans who participate in this
life-changing event," Peake said. "Not only does the clinic
motivate veterans, young and old, to reach for their full potential
and enjoy a higher quality of life, but it also gives them a strong
sense of purpose and camaraderie with their fellow veterans."
Among this year's participants is Alan "Doc" Babin, a
27-year-old Army veteran who was among the first soldiers injured
in Iraq, in March 2003. The former 82nd Airborne Division medic was
rushing to the aid of a fellow soldier when he was hit several
times by small-arms fire. The bullets tore through his abdomen,
damaging about 90 percent of his stomach, threatening his
survival.
But after more than 70 surgeries and numerous hospital stays,
Babin is back at the winter sports clinic and ready to challenge
himself again.
"I want to reunite with friends from last year and continue
receiving the good therapy the mountain provides," he said. "The
clinic gives me a sense of peacefulness."
Editor's Note: Military families can also avail
themselves of the Defense Department's America Supports You
program, which highlights home-front groups across the nation that
are providing a variety of services and support to troops and their
families. A listing of these groups and information about their
efforts is available at www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil.
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