Ski Spectacular to Include Wounded Warriors

The 19th Annual The Hartford Ski Spectacular, the national's largest winter sports festival for persons with disabilities, will this year also serve as a training camp and competition to prepare the US Disabled Ski Team (USDST) for the 2008 World Championships and will feature a Special Guest program, providing rehabilitation sports instruction to US and British Wounded Warriors disabled while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The event, hosted by Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) December 3-10 in Breckenridge, Colorado, will include 60 American and British Wounded Warriors and their families as Special Guests. In partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP), the event will include opportunities for the Special Guests to participate in the Learn to Ski and Learn to Race programs. For more than two years, WWP and DS/USA have coordinated adaptive sporting events for Wounded Warriors across the country. Members of US Paralympic teams sponsored by The Hartford will be racing, as well as coaching and lending support to the Wounded Warriors. They include Paul Martin, Ron Williams, Sandy Dukat, Chris Devlin-Young, Allison Jones, Brad Johnson, Kelly Crowley, and Allison Ahlfeldt.

The Ski Spectacular is expected to attract more than 600 participants this year, ranging in ability from beginning skiers to members of the US Disabled Ski Team. The event provides ski and race programs, youth mentorship, competitions, and training to volunteer instructors.

"Now in its 19th year, The Hartford Ski Spectacular is our flagship winter sports event that provides hundreds of disabled athletes the opportunity to learn to ski and race," said DS/USA Executive Director Kirk Bauer. Bauer knows firsthand what it is like to face the challenges of disability. As a noncommissioned officer in the US Army, Bauer lost a leg from a hand grenade during an ambush while serving in the Ninth Combat Infantry Division in Vietnam. "These young warriors and other participating athletes have lost something physical--to regain their sense of confidence they have to do something physical--like ski down a mountain. When someone with a disability gets on the mountain, they are freed beyond the limitations of disability. It helps people realize how much they can accomplish in athletics and in their everyday lives."

"The Wounded Warrior Project and Disabled Sports USA adaptive sports programs exist to provide the severely wounded opportunities for psychological and physical rehabilitation and growth," said John Melia, executive director and founder of Wounded Warrior Project. "We are honored to provide that same opportunity to the British Wounded Warriors who fought alongside our American troops."

The Ski Spectacular program includes:

Learn to Ski and Learn to Race: Individuals with physical disabilities who want to learn to ski will be provided instruction. There will also be training camps for promising young racers and Wounded Warriors. Ski Competitions: Top racers will join members of the USDST to compete in two elite level races to begin the nationwide qualifying race series, SkiTour, for the US Disabled Ski Championships. A Corporate Challenge Race for novice racers and corporate sponsor representatives also will be held. PSIA Instructor Academy: Instructors and volunteers from local disabled skiing programs throughout the nation attend classes on the latest techniques in adaptive skiing methods. The only program of its kind, the Instructor Academy is sanctioned by the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA). The Hartford is the founding sponsor of the event. Additional sponsors include Non Commissioned Officers Association, Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center, Breckenridge Ski Resort, Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation, Professional Ski Instructors of America, Genatt Associates and Defending Freedom, Quorum Prosthetics, DS/USA host chapter Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, and Schwartz Communications.

For a complete schedule of events and registration information, visit www.dsusa.org/programs-winter-hartford.html

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Project, visit www.woundedwarriorproject.org , or call 877/TEAM-WWP.

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