National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic returns to Snowmass
38-year-old program will serve 10,000th veteran participant
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
The 38th annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic will kick off April 1 in Snowmass Village.
The clinic is co-hosted by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Disabled American Veterans and will run from April 1-7. Sometimes referred to as “Miracles on the Mountainside,” the clinic helps disabled veterans with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries, orthopedic amputations, and visual impairments explore recovery through alpine and nordic skiing, sled hockey, and other adaptive sports.
The winter sports clinic has served thousands of veterans since 1987. This year, it will host about 400 disabled veterans and serve its 10,000th veteran participant.
“The winter sports clinic is a premier and unparalleled adaptive sports event that provides outstanding support for veterans to face and overcome challenges as part of a multi-faceted rehabilitation program,” said physical therapist Kendra Betz, who serves as the winter sports clinic seating and prosthetics coordinator.
It showcases the health and rehabilitative benefits of adaptive sports for veterans.
Several participants have come back to Snowmass for the sports clinic and lauded the work of the VA and DAV for the effort put into the winter sports clinic. Many have said it’s been lifesaving.
“While serving overseas in 2003, I suffered injuries to my spinal cord while rescuing wounded civilians, leaving me paralyzed. After nearly two years in the hospital, it was a long road to recovery,” said retired U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Bud McLeroy in a news release. “So, when I come to places like Snowmass and participate in this clinic, I look at it like these people are saving lives. They are my heroes because they support me.”
In addition to skiing and sled hockey, the clinic also provides scuba diving, snowmobiling, and rock climbing. Instructors take participants underwater at the Viewline Hotel pool for a scuba diving experience.
The event has been in snowmass for almost two decades, and was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Organizers, participants, medical staff, and volunteers are excited to be back in Snowmass for another year of the clinic. More information is available at wintersportsclinic.org.
