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[NATURAL SOUND] NARRATOR: Hundreds of American Veterans with
disabilities arrived Saturday, in beautiful Snowmass Village, Colorado for the 24th National
Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. [NATURAL SOUND]
NARRATOR: The Clinic is a weeklong event that provides Veterans instruction on adaptive
Alpine and Nordic skiing, and many alternate adaptive recreational activities and sports.
Steve Bruggeman, a second-year participant is geared up for another week of new challenges.
STEVE BRUGGEMAN “I’m really excited about the skiing venue, with my disability wearing
a prosthetic it’s a great opportunity. This will be the second time I’ve tried skiing
with it.” NARRATOR: First time participants begin the
week with new participant orientation. For many of these Veterans, this will be their
first introduction to adaptive sports, and even though they may feel a little apprehensive
about the journey ahead, the overall mood is excitement.
TREY LAFITTE: “Mainly just to get on top of a mountain and jump, and go down it really
SANDY TROMBETTA, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL VETERANS WINTER SPORTS CLINIC: “We really want them
to return home and continue what they’ve learned here at the event. Maybe not the activities
themselves, but the attitudes, the interests and the different changes that they make,
that they can put into play so they can live a lot fuller once they return home.”
NARRATOR: The five-day Clinic consists of ski lessons, a challenge race, adaptive sports
workshops and educational classes. More than 200 certified ski instructors for the disabled,
and several current and former members of the United States Disabled Ski Team, will
be on hand to meet the unique needs of the participants.
SANDY TROMBETTA, DIRECTOR, NATIONAL VETERANS WINTER SPORTS CLINIC: “Our ski instructors
not only have to be a strong ski instructor understanding th same exact theories and practices
as any professional ski instructor on the mountain, but they have to understand the
disease process, the injures that we’re serving and the equipment that applies to
those individuals.” NARRATOR: The fun starts on Monday, after
all the Veterans make it through registration. For the Department of Veterans Affairs, I’m
Anthony Hardman.