Program Teaches Skiing and Snowboarding to Severely Wounded Service Members for Fifth Consecutive Ye
Rockville, MD - Severely wounded members of the U.S. military who have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will participate in the year-long sports rehabilitation program offered by Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) for the fifth consecutive year, in partnership with the organization’s local chapters and Wounded Warrior Project. In addition to alpine skiing and snowboarding, this year’s activities include a series of more than 70 “learn-to” clinics in nordic skiing, cycling, golf, sailing, outrigger canoeing, kayaking, SCUBA, rock and ice climbing, camping, water skiing, rafting, wake boarding, track and field, and other sports.
Advanced level training and competitions are also offered to help the Wounded Warriors to remain active throughout their lives. Several of the Wounded Warriors have been certified as ski instructors and scuba divers, and some are training to be Paralympians, as a result of this program. Many have become active in local DS/USA chapter activities, once they return to civilian life.
The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project provides all sports programs free of charge for severely wounded service members and their families. This includes costs for transportation, special adaptive sports equipment, training from qualified adaptive sports instructors, lodging, meals and other costs.
“Through the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, we are honored to be able to offer severely wounded service members and their families recreational activities to heal the mind, body and spirit,” said John Melia, Executive Director and Founder of Wounded Warrior Project.
“The 2008 programs will include active sports that will show our Wounded Warriors they can lead full and active lives despite their severe wounds,” said Kirk Bauer, executive director of Disabled Sports USA and a disabled Vietnam veteran. “We will conduct programs throughout the USA, taking these deserving Wounded Warriors to some fantastic venues, including skiing and snowboarding in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, Utah, Idaho and Sierra Nevada Mountains in California; kayaking and rock climbing; SCUBA diving; water skiing in New York, Texas and California; surfing in California and North Carolina; golfing and cycling at courses and paths near the hospitals where they are convalescing and many other activities.”
Activities will be held for severely wounded service members rehabilitating in Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.; Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas; Balboa Naval Medical Center in San Diego California; and Veterans Hospitals in Tampa Florida and Palo Alto California and other medical centers. Wounded Warriors discharged from the military will also have the opportunity to continue to participate at DS/USA national and chapter programs throughout the USA, so they can maintain an active sports life.
To view the complete article: http://www.firsttracksonline.com/News/2008/12/27/Program-Teaches-Skiing-and-Snowboarding-to-Severely-Wounded-Service-Members-for-Fifth-Consecutive-Year/
| Rate it: |
 Email it
|
      |
|
No Comments »
No comments yet.
RSS feed for comments on this post. TrackBack URI
