LEBANON, N.H. (WCAX) – About 50 disabled veterans and their caregivers are participating in the annual VA New England Adaptive Winter Sports Clinic, a program that offers therapeutic activities, but also provides community.
Carlos Lopes, a Marine Corps vet who suffered a spinal cord injury in Iraq in 2005, is among those drumming to the same beat regardless of their disability.
“I ended up getting medevacked out and eventually medically retired from the Corps,” Lopes said.
The cardio drums are one of many activities scheduled for a week-long winter clinic co-hosted by the Boston and White River Junction VAs.
“We get to talk to each other, and by the time we leave here, we are smiling, feeling better about ourselves, and we look forward to the next time,” Lopes said.
The week kicked off with sled hockey, which has been a fan favorite for several years. The winter clinic takes veterans outside their comfort zones to experience life in a different way.
“We started with 11 veterans in 1998,” said Wayne Ross, an Air Force veteran who has been showing up since the beginning. “This program means a lot to me. I get up here once a year, and I always have a blast and made a lot of really good friends.”
“Get a lot of pleasure and enjoyment and a good fair bit of exercise, too,” said Bob Baldi, an Army veteran.
The program allows veterans to stay active and connect with fellow veterans in a safe, evidence-based, therapeutic environment. “There are all levels of disability. Everything from hidden disability to obvious amputations and so forth,” Baldi said.
After the drumming, they load onto buses to hit the slopes. Claudia Inverso, a Navy veteran who suffered a non-service-related injury when she was 45. “And all you do is you got to learn how to fall. This is my third year skiing. I love it,” she said. “It is like a vacation. It’s wonderful.”
New this year is indoor rock climbing, which along with the other activities, is taking their recovery to new heights.
