National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.

Paul F. Pasquina, MD Participation in sports and recreational activities can significantly effect an individual’s well-being and overall quality of life. A regular exercise program strengthens the musculoskeletal system, improves cardiovascular function, and helps prevent and treat medical conditions such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and obesity [1–3]. Participation in sports also decreases symptoms of mild depression, promotes well-being, and improves social skills [4]. Within the disabled veteran community, the benefits of sports and exercise may be exponential. By improving physical condition, function, and psychological well-being, intensive sports and exercise may greatly improve the long-term prognosis for patients with disabilities. Healthcare practitioners should be aware of the opportunities for sports and recreational activities available to their patients. Today, numerous opportunities exist for individuals with disabilities, although many are still hampered by barriers such as limited access and lack of awareness. The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is one example of an event that has been successful in breaking down these barriers, thanks to its numerous public and private supporters and the leadership of its organizer Santo “Sandy” Trombetta (pictured below). The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is currently the largest rehabilitative program of its kind in the world and includes adapted physical activities as well as workshops and educational sessions that aid in the rehabilitation of severely disabled veterans. Activities such as Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowmobiling, scuba diving, fly-fishing, wheelchair golf, wheelchair self-defense, rock wall climbing, sled hockey, trapshooting, blues harmonica instruction, dogsledding, goal ball for the visually impaired, wheelchair fencing, and amputee volleyball are only a small number of the adapted sports and activities that have been offered over the past 20 years. Set in recent years in Snow Mass, Colorado, near Aspen, the clinic targets disabled veterans with spinal cord injuries, amputations, neurological disorders, and visual impairments to improve physical well-being, mental