Disabled Sports USA and Wounded Warrior Project Announce Summer Sports Rehabilitation Schedule
Jun 24 2008
Severely wounded service members who have served in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, will participate in a summer long sports rehabilitation program offered by Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA) in partnership with 35 of its local chapters and Wounded Warrior Project. This summer’s activities for the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project will include a series of more than 35 “learn-to” clinics in cycling, golf, sailing, outrigger canoeing, kayaking, scuba, rock climbing, camping, water skiing, rafting, wake boarding, track and field, fishing 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 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.
Wounded Warrior Project leads AIG and others in funding the program, enabling DS/USA to provide 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.
“The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project is a successful partnership with Disabled Sports USA and we are honored to be able to offer severely wounded service members and their families opportunities to participate in recreational activities,” stated John Melia, Executive Director and Founder of Wounded Warrior Project. “The road to recovery is measured in years and through the WWDSP, we will continue to grow a community offering active rehabilitation to engage wounded soldiers for a lifetime.”
“The 2008 summer programs will continue to provide opportunities to show our Wounded Warriors that they can live an active life with their new physical challenges.” 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 river rafting and kayaking in Colorado, sailing across the Atlantic, scuba diving in Florida and the Caribbean, 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” Bauer added.
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.
View the list of July events, or look for an event later in the year on the Disabled Sports USA Web site.
