Winter Sports Clinic Creates "Miracles on a Mountainside"

For the 19th year, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) brought together hundreds of volunteers in the hopes of creating "Miracles on a Mountainside" for over 300 disabled American veterans. The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, held in Snowmass Village, Colorado, aimed to restore hope and vitality to some of America's disabled veterans. Each year, the clinic brings together veterans with a wide range of disabilities, including spinal cord injuries or disease, visual impairments, neurological conditions, amputations, and other disabilities, and encourages them to challenge themselves both physically and mentally. During the course of the six-day event, participants are introduced to a number of activities such as adaptive skiing, rock climbing, scuba diving, snowmobiling, and sled hockey. Through these activities, event organizers hope to encourage participants to reach beyond the scope of their disabilities and realize the challenges that they can overcome not only on the mountain, but also in everyday life. Helping Vet Creates Clinic The idea for the Winter Sports Clinic was hatched when Sandy Trombetta, founder of the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic and a recreational therapist, was working with one particular disabled vet. They had worked together all summer, and when winter rolled around, Trombetta couldn't come up with activities for his patient. Trombetta heard an ad about adaptive skiing, and asked his patient if he would be interested, to which his patient responded, "How can I ski? I can't even walk." After some prodding, Trombetta convinced his patient to hit the slopes. The skiing was difficult, and Trombetta began to worry about his patient's safety after watching him fall and get up, and fall and get back up again. Suddenly, though, Trombetta realized that the activity was forcing his patient to challenge himself beyond his disability. "It became very clear that it wasn't about skiing," said Trombetta. "It was about someone who had lost a part of himself through his disability and was trying to regain it. Then I thought to myself, 'If it can help him, it can help so many others.'" Thus, the Winter Sports Clinic was born. The first clinic was held in 1987, with 87 participants, and has continued to grow each year due to its remarkable success. This year was no exception. Skydive Opens 2005 Event The 2005 Winter Sports Clinic, which was held April 3-9, kicked offwith amputee skydiver Dana Bowman jumping into Snowmass Village to open the event. Bowman landed on the Snowmass ski slope, where he was quickly joined by actress Bo Derek and actor John Corbett, who are avid supporters of the event. Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz also joined Bowman and some of the events' participants on the slopes. This was Wolfowitz's first trip to the Winter Sports Clinic, and he was inspired by the veterans' enduring spirit. "I am amazed by the courage and determination of these vets," expressed Wolfowitz. "It's not just recreation. This is serious business for them." Wolfowitz was also a speaker at the event's opening ceremony, which featured remarks from several VA and DAV personnel involved with the event and entertainment by up-and-coming country singer Ty Nelson. Veteran and inspirational speaker Rudy Ruettiger, whose story was immortalized in the film Rudy, also volunteered his time to spread his words of motivation and inspiration to the veterans at Snowmass. Veterans' Stories Events and competition for the 323 participants began on the second day of the clinic, and some first-timers, like 1st Lieutenant Ed Salau of Havelock, North Carolina, were excited to get started. Salau is a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom who lost his left leg above the knee during an attack on his Bradley tank on November 15th of last year. The same rocket-propelled grenade that took Salau's left leg ripped offthe right leg of his gunner who was sitting next to him. Both traveled to Snowmass to take part in their first Winter Sports Clinic. After losing his leg in Iraq, Salau spent nearly four months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington DC, rehabbing both physically and emotionally. Salau immediately met with peer mentors who helped him cope with his loss. "I knew I wasn't the first guy to lose his leg in the world, but it was my lifeand my leg," said Salau. Salau learned of the Winter Sports Clinic from an occupational therapist during a rehabilitation session. When the suggestion was made that he participate, Salau said, "Really? Skiing? I have one leg." After some consideration and three other ski trips, Salau decided he was ready to come to the Winter Sports Clinic. Salau, who was not a skier before his amputation, states the value of a program such as this. "If I can do this, I can do anything. If I can learn something new and master it, then I know I can go back to doing everything else I used to do." When he returns to North Carolina, Salau wants to work with his prosthetist at East Carolina Brace and Limb Company, headquartered in New Bern, North Carolina, to learn to run again. Another first-time participant, Mario Uribe, a Navy veteran from Oakland, California, had reservations about skiing, but quickly overcame them. "I was definitely more doubtful than hopeful," said Uribe, who lost his right leg and left arm due to a serviceconnected injury in Vietnam. "I felt like an old lady in a rocker at first, but I got the hang of it." Uribe sees the value of this clinic as inspiration to those who may have lost their zest for lifedue to disability. "This is an eye-opening experience, and the benefit is selfchallenge. It engenders hope." Paul Miosek For Army veteran Paul Miosek, who was competing in sled hockey and bi-skiing, the Winter Sports Clinic is an event he looks forward to all year. Miosek traveled all the way from Albany, New York, for his fifth year at the clinic because, "It's a place where people who think they can't do things learn that they can." Miosek had his own fears the first time he competed, but conquering those helped him to overcome other challenges. "I was afraid the first time because I didn't know what to expect. Then it was no-holds-barred. Nothing could hold me back from anything." Miosek's coach Michele Ferrauilo noted the changes that the clinic has made in Miosek's rehabilitation. "It's a great rehab opportunity. We've seen weight reduction, more confidence, and a willingness to compete in any clinic, whereas before he never would." People More than Disability The goal of the Winter Sports Clinic is to initiate these kinds of rehabilitative changes in its participants. Trombetta says the only failure is if these veterans leave the clinic without a sense of accomplishment and a great selfimage. While he's extremely proud of the success the Winter Sports Clinic has enjoyed, Trombetta is still humbled by how his desire to help one man has helped so many. "I wish I had known all this 20 years ago, but I didn't. I just wanted to take a guy skiing." Trombetta stresses that the most important lesson that the VA and DAV organizers want the veterans to take with them is that, as people, they are much more than just their physical disability. "When our body is gone, it's our spirit that defines us."

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