Photo provided by National Sports Center for the Disabled
Did you know that the National Disability Sports Center is the only adaptive sports program in the Grand County and Denver area that provides veterans with experiences every week of the year?No matter the weather, our nonprofit sports center It offers outdoor activities.
In fact, the sports center was born on the snow. It all started in January 1970 when Winter Park Ski School instructor Hal O’Leary taught 23 amputees to ski. Today, the center offers activities for a wide range of people, from professional adaptive skiers to veterans who have recently lost limbs.
When the snow is flying, staff members can be found downhill skiing or snowboarding with veterans at Winter Park Resort or cross-country skiing at the YMCA at Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch. Other winter sports include snowshoeing, shooting, and fat biking.
“(The National Disability Sports Center’s) program helps disabled veterans rethink their abilities and take control of what they do with their lives,” said Julie Tallman, president and CEO of the sports center. It is designed to help us reconsider what is possible.” “Currently, there is no other adaptive sports provider in the Denver metropolitan area and Grand County that offers a broader and broader range of programs for disabled veterans.”
From injury to adaptability
The Sports Center’s signature fundraising event is the Wells Fargo Ski Cup. This annual fundraiser at Winter Park Resort attracts participants of all skill levels in skiing and snowboarding, from professional athletes to children. Many of the players are veterans.
Iraq War veteran Kyle Moxley trains as a competitive skier at the sports center. Instead of just trying to recover from a combat injury, he began competing on the international adaptive ski circuit. He has participated in the Ski Cup for five years in a row.
“When I was in the military, I always wanted to represent the United States in everything I did,” he said. “I can still do that even though I’m injured.”
Grant makes program possible
The National Disability Sports Center’s Military Appreciation Program is designed to help veterans build social support networks with other veterans. Recently, the program received a boost from the National Disabled Veterans Foundation.
“We are proud to support NSCD’s efforts to empower veterans through adaptive sports,” said Foundation CEO Joseph VanFonda. “Their programs provide not only physical activity, but also important social support and a sense of community that is essential to veterans’ well-being and reintegration into society.”
The foundation’s support allows the sports center to provide free adaptive sports to disabled veterans and active military personnel. It reduces costs and allows participants from all walks of life to enjoy a variety of outdoor experiences.
Tolman said other organizations are contributing financially to the appreciation program as well.
On October 7, 2024, the Colorado Department of Veterans Affairs awarded $145,394 to the sports center.
“The funding allows us to continue to deliver programs that are really important to the military,” Tolman said. “They use Mother Nature to help them recover from disabilities, PTSD, or the social-emotional scars of military service.”
The Sports Center meets veterans and service members wherever they are, whether they are still in the military or recovering from injuries sustained while serving their country.
“What NSCD literally did for me is they took me out of nothing and now I can ski overseas,” Moxley said. “I’m on Team USA and have a whole new goal in life. My goal was just to overcome my disability, my ability to adapt, but now I have a new perspective. .”
