"There are those who speak about you who say, 'he lost an arm, he lost a leg, she lost her sight.' I object. You gave your arm; you gave your leg; you gave your sight as gifts to your nation, that we might live in freedom. Thank you. And to your families, families of the fallen, and families of the wounded, you sacrificed in ways that those of us who have not walked in your shoes can only imagine." —General Peter M. Pace
The Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project is conducted by Disabled Sports USA in partnership with Wounded Warrior Project www.woundedwarriorproject.org. WWDSP provides year-round sports programsmembers from the Iraq and Afghanistan conflict and the global war on terrorism.
The “Wounded Warriors” and their family members are provided these opportunities free of charge, including transportation, lodging, adaptive equipment and individualized instruction in over a dozen different winter and summer sports.
Wounded Warrior Integration
DS USA Executive Director Kirk Bauer estimates 1,000 wounded warriors and 600 family members have been helped through the project since it started in the fall of 2003. Bauer states that the focus of the WWDSP has become integration.
“Some programs have been specifically designed for the veterans, but we have found the disabled veterans have enjoyed it more when they are integrated into our regular programs,” he says. He also emphasizes that the project’s integration expands to the servicemembers’ families and the public spaces where most of the programs take place.
A New Attitude Toward Veterans
Bauer sees a huge change in attitude since he returned from Vietnam in 1969 as a single leg amputee.
“The programs, opportunities, and choices are much more diverse now. DS USA currently has 92 chapters in 37 states. Each chapter sets its own agenda and activities. These may include one or more of the following: snow sports (snow skiing, snowboarding, and Nordic skiing); water sports (water skiing, sailing, kayaking, scuba, outrigger canoeing and rafting); cycling; climbing; horseback riding; golf; shooting; athletics; tennis; other sports; and social activities.”
Accessibility is Key
Bauer stresses the importance of three components in making a program like the Wounded Warrior Sports Project successful: adaptive equipment, knowledgeable instructors who know how to adapt the activity and use the equipment, and accessible facilities to run the program. He said when all three are in place you have the ability to achieve integration physically, socially, and with the community. Unless a program is integrated at these levels, he sees it as falling short of its mission and having less of an impact.
You Can Do It
The motto of the program is: If I can do this, I can do anything! Bauer says the changes he has seen in participants are almost instantaneous.
“They totally change when they find out they can be successful in the adaptive activities," he says.
A success story he pointed to is wounded warrior Melissa Stockwell, an above-the-knee amputee who has just received her degree in prosthetics and is training for the Paralympics as a swimmer. Bauer wanted to use Melissa as an example to point out the number of women coming back from the Gulf with disabilities.
“They need to be served just as much as the men by the adaptive programs,” he says.
To find out more about the WWDSP, visit www.dsusa.org/programs-wwdsp
Wounded Warrior Soldier Ride
Another aspect of the Wounded Warrior Project is the Soldier Ride bicycle rides. The rides are organized by Woody Groton, national tour director. The Soldier Ride is an official program of the WWP and is a rehabilitative sports event for the wounded warriors. But it is much more than that. For many of these combat wounded veterans, it is a way to return to an active lifestyle. Groton mentioned every ride is a life-altering event for at least two to three of the new participants who join in.
“We had one guy who came out for his first ride after spinal fusion surgery. He cycled before, but this was his first ride since his surgery and disability. The first day we did 40 miles as a group, the second day 30, and the third 70 miles. This guy did it all with us and loved every minute of it.”
Groton also states, “It is great to see the new patients who come from the VA hospitals out for the first time. They get to see guys who have been doing it a few years and realize they can do it too. We had two guys who were always on the radio to each other in Iraq, but never met in person. Both were injured within three days of each other. They met at a ride in Nashville, both figured out who the other was, and had a nice little reunion.”
Adaptations and Handcycles
Many of the cyclists need to have special adaptations made to their bikes. Groton says that people with Project Mobility, based in St. Charles, Ill., have come to the events and helped soldiers with these adaptations. These can involve crank extensions for leg amputees, or moving all controls to one side for arm amputees. The rides see many participants using handcycles too.
“Some riders with arm and leg amputations may need a recumbent trike with special controls to ride, but we do our best to get everyone to ride,” says Groton.
Giving Back to Wounded Warriors
These cyclists want to give back. The Soldier Ride helps to raise awareness for the Wounded Warrior Project. Even though the soldiers have already given so much, they want to confer a positive message to the public and encourage the next group of wounded soldiers.
In 2004, the first year of the ride, $1 million was raised. Last year, the ride raised $12 million. The funds help the Wounded Warrior Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting the new generation of severely injured servicemen and women.
Many of these men and women have been physically active throughout their lives and are not going to lose that. They are going to get on the bike and prove to themselves, “I can still do this.'' Soldier Ride is not about the politics; it's not about the war; it's simply about the soldiers.
To participate, e-mail Woody Groton, Soldier Ride National Tour Director, at soldierride@woundedwarriorproje
See Related Articles
See Disabled Veteran Says: It's Simple, We Volunteered for You to learn more about one veteran with an amputation recovering with his snowboard and the Wounded Warrior Project.
Discover how veterans with disabilities maintain a healthy lifestyle, despite their injuries, in VA Equipment Grants Help Veterans with Disabilities Stay Active.
