Local Veterans Rave About Winter Sports Clinic

Franklin Mays from Okemos and Jill Wolfe from Grand Rapids left Michigan for snowy peaks alongside approximately 400 fellow disabled Veterans to take part in several adaptive sports activities and assisted by approximately 600 volunteers and 200 sponsors.

The five-day event, affectionally dubbed Miracles on a Mountainside, offers participants adaptive sports therapy opportunities, to include Alpine and Nordic skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving, snowmobiling, rock climbing, and a myriad of workshops and activities. As a second-year participant, Wolf was impressed with the organization, and surprised at how many volunteers and participants she remembered from last year. “The volunteers and staff treat us like royalty, helping us with everything from putting on our skis to rescheduling events. For a lot of disabled people, buffet lines are our worst nightmare, and they even helped us with that too!”

VA co-sponsors the event with Disabled American Veterans (DAV), and with financial assistance from corporate sponsors and individual donors. “I am extremely grateful for the scholarship, without which I would not be able to attend the clinic,” said Mays, who attended for the first time. “The hardest thing was going through the physical, to make sure I could participate safely. My room was close to a hot tub, which was nice after a day on the slopes, and the volunteers were great, and I was so glad to have the assistance.” The Winter Sports Clinic is the pinnacle of winter sports for many enthusiasts with unique physical challenges. You can see a 15-minute video highlight of last week’s events HERE.

The first Winter Sports Clinic was held in 1987 and hosted 90 disabled Veterans. For nearly four decades, the NDVWSC has helped Veterans who live with physical disabilities, as well as wounds unseen, overcome obstacles and challenge their perceived limitations. World-class instructors and recreation therapists work closely with Veterans to help them experience the full potential of adaptive sports and recreation therapy as a tool for improved health and well-being.

“I would recommend this to any Vet with any physical disability,” added Wolfe. “I talked to so many fellow Vets who said this clinic saved their lives. It’s inspiring to see some of the most physically disabled vets get out there and go down the mountain with the help of their coaches.” To view content from the event, follow @Sports4Vets and @DAVHQ on X and Instagram, Sports4Vets and DAV on Facebook, search #wintersportclinic or visit https://linktr.ee/davsocial.