{"id":7612,"date":"2026-05-20T14:30:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7612"},"modified":"2026-05-20T14:30:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T14:30:00","slug":"veterans-of-every-generation-find-their-stride-in-adaptive-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7612","title":{"rendered":"Veterans of every generation find their stride in adaptive sports"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2026-05-20T14:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

The Winter Sports Clinic bridges generations through recovery and connection<\/h2>\n

At the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic,\u00a0there\u2019s\u00a0no single profile of a participant.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Veterans arrive\u00a0from different branches,\u00a0eras and\u00a0life experiences. Some are just beginning to navigate\u00a0a\u00a0new reality after injury. Others have spent decades adapting. But on the slopes, those differences fade,\u00a0replaced by a shared pursuit of movement, independence\u00a0and community.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Two Veterans, one\u00a023, the other\u00a084,\u00a0show that while their\u00a0personal\u00a0adaptive sports\u00a0experiences that brought them to the\u00a0Winter\u00a0Sports\u00a0Clinic\u00a0differ, they\u00a0ultimately lead\u00a0to the same place: healing.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Coast Guard Veteran Phillip Wotton, 23, and Navy Veteran Harold Eugene Brown, 84, were the youngest and oldest participants at the 40th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, Snowmass Village, Colo., April 4\u201311, 2026. Despite nearly six decades between Wotton and Brown, both Veterans arrived at the same conclusion about adaptive sports: staying engaged is everything.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Harold Eugene Brown, 84 \u2014 Navy<\/h2>\n

Drafted during the Vietnam War era, Harold Eugene Brown carries decades of experience living with reduced vision.\u00a0<\/p>\n

While age has\u00a0changed\u00a0how he\u00a0is able to see\u00a0the world,\u00a0his\u00a0mindset\u00a0remains\u00a0steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Through adaptive sports and the\u00a0health care\u00a0he\u00a0receives\u00a0at\u00a0the\u00a0Lebanon VA Medical Center\u00a0in Pennsylvania, he stays\u00a0healthy\u00a0and\u00a0finds\u00a0connection\u00a0with\u00a0a community he loves.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cGet out there,\u00a0get involved,\u201d\u00a0Brown\u00a0offered\u00a0as advice to fellow Veterans.\u00a0\u201cOnce you\u2019re involved, you won\u2019t want to get away.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

During his second year at the Winter Sports Clinic,\u00a0Brown shows no signs of slowing down. Later this year, he plans to compete in the\u00a0National Veterans\u00a0Golden Age Games<\/a>, continuing to prove that age and ability\u00a0do not define limits.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Phillip Wotton, 23 \u2014 Coast Guard\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Phillip\u00a0Wotton\u2019s\u00a0journey\u00a0to adaptive sports\u00a0looks\u00a0very different,\u00a0but the determination feels familiar.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A lifelong athlete who loves\u00a0surfing, volleyball\u00a0and\u00a0the outdoors, Wotton\u2019s life changed after a diving accident\u00a0in 2024\u00a0left him paralyzed. After a year\u00a0and a half\u00a0of recovery, his\u00a0care\u00a0team\u00a0at the Miami VA Medical Center\u00a0introduced\u00a0him\u00a0to the\u00a0Winter Sports Clinic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now,\u00a0he\u2019s\u00a0discovering\u00a0what\u2019s\u00a0still possible.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t know how good the technology was for people to do adaptive stuff until now,\u201d he said. \u201cThis shows I can do more recreational activities.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

In his first year at the Winter Sports Clinic,\u00a0Wotton is already redefining what progress looks like. Next year,\u00a0whether standing or using a sit-ski,\u00a0Wotton\u00a0looks forward to returning to the clinic.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A shared message across generations\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Despite\u00a0nearly six\u00a0decades between\u00a0Brown and Wotton, both Veterans arrive at the same conclusion: staying engaged is everything.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWhatever sport you ever did in your life, go back and practice,\u201d\u00a0Brown\u00a0said.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

That message\u00a0is echoed\u00a0by\u00a0the\u00a0nearly 320\u00a0Veteran participants at the 40th<\/sup>\u00a0National Disabled Veterans\u00a0Winter Sports Clinic\u00a0where\u00a0recovery\u00a0is not\u00a0a finish line, it\u2019s\u00a0an ongoing process.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Looking ahead\u00a0<\/h2>\n

Programs like the Winter Sports Clinic\u00a0reflect\u00a0VA\u2019s\u00a0broader\u00a0efforts to expand access to adaptive sports and recreation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During his visit to Snowmass, VA\u00a0Under Secretary\u00a0for\u00a0Health John J. Bartrum met with\u00a0Veterans\u00a0participating\u00a0in\u00a0fly fishing, Nordic\u00a0and Alpine\u00a0skiing, sled hockey and other adaptive sports events,\u00a0a sight he believes reinforces\u00a0VA\u2019s\u00a0commitment\u00a0to\u00a0support\u00a0recovery\u00a0through adaptive sports.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cAdaptive sports are the culmination of physical, mental and spiritual health,\u00a0which are essential for not only healing, but thriving,\u201d Bartrum said. \u201cI am committed to not only continue to support this event but find ways to improve and expand opportunities across our adaptive sports program.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Those words carry weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

VA\u00a0recently\u00a0committed $16 million<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0adaptive sports programming,\u00a0expanding access\u00a0and\u00a0connecting\u00a0more Veterans with opportunities like\u00a0the Winter Sports Clinic.\u00a0Investments like\u00a0these\u00a0ensure\u00a0every Veteran, regardless of age or ability,\u00a0can\u00a0rediscover what\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0capable of.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is the world leader in rehabilitation\u00a0for profoundly\u00a0disabled Veterans\u00a0from across the country. Veterans with TBI, spinal cord injuries, visual impairments, amputations, multiple sclerosis and other severe disabilities are challenged to overcome perceived limitations through adaptive skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving, rock wall climbing, education and other activities. It is the largest rehabilitative event of its kind in the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Veterans\u00a0interested in\u00a0participating\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a02027\u00a0National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic\u00a0can review qualifications and applications<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Veterans of all ages find healing through adaptive sports at the Winter Sports Clinic, proving that movement, community, and resilience transcend injury.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":339,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care","category-prosthetics-rehabilitation"],"yoast_head":"\nVeterans of every generation find their stride in adaptive sports - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Veterans of all ages find healing through adaptive sports at the Winter Sports Clinic, proving that movement, community, and resilience transcend injury.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7612\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Veterans of every generation find their stride in adaptive sports - 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