May 6, 2026

Veterans of every generation find their stride in adaptive sports

At the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, there’s no single profile of a participant.

Veterans arrive from different branches, eras, and life experiences. Some are just beginning to navigate a new reality after injury. Others have spent decades adapting. But on the slopes, those differences fade, replaced by a shared pursuit of movement, independence, and community.

Two Veterans, one 23, the other 84, show that while their personal adaptive sports experiences that brought them to the Winter Sports Clinic differ, they ultimately lead to the same place: healing.

Harold Eugene Brown, 84 — U.S. Navy (Vietnam-era)

Drafted during the Vietnam War era, Harold Eugene Brown carries decades of experience living with reduced vision.

While age has changed how he is able to see the world, his mindset remains steady.

Through adaptive sports and the health care he receives at the Lebanon VA Medical Center in Pennsylvania, he stays healthy and finds connection with a community he loves.

“Get out there, get involved,” Brown offered as advice to fellow Veterans. “Once you’re involved, you won’t want to get away.”

During his second year at the Winter Sports Clinic, Brown shows no signs of slowing down. Later this year, he plans to compete in the National Veterans Golden Age Games, continuing to prove that age and ability do not define limits.  

Phillip Wotton, 23 — U.S. Coast Guard

Phillip Wotton’s journey to adaptive sports looks very different, but the determination feels familiar.

A lifelong athlete who loves surfing, volleyball, and the outdoors, Wotton’s life changed after a diving accident in 2024 left him paralyzed. After a year and a half of recovery, his care team at the Miami VA Medical Center introduced him to the Winter Sports Clinic.

Now, he’s discovering what’s still possible.

“I didn’t know how good the technology was for people to do adaptive stuff until now,” he said. “This shows I can do more recreational activities.”

In his first year at the Winter Sports Clinic, Wotton is already redefining what progress looks like. Next year, whether standing or using a sit-ski, Wotton looks forward to returning to the clinic.

A shared message across generations

Despite nearly six decades between Brown and Wotton, both Veterans arrive at the same conclusion: staying engaged is everything.

“Whatever sport you ever did in your life, go back and practice,” Brown said.

That message is echoed by the nearly 320 Veteran participants at the 40^th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic where recovery is not a finish line – it’s ongoing.

Looking ahead

Programs like the Winter Sports Clinic reflect VA’s broader efforts to expand access to adaptive sports and recreation.

During his visit to Snowmass, Colorado, the VA Under Secretary for Health, John J. Bartrum, met with Veterans participating in fly fishing, Nordic and Alpine skiing, sled hocking, and other adaptive sports events, reinforcing VA’s commitment to supporting recovery through adaptive sports.

“Adaptive sports are the culmination of physical, mental and spiritual health, which are essential for not only healing – but thriving.” Bartrum said. “I am committed to not only continue to support this event but find ways to improve and expand opportunities across our adaptive sports program.”

Those words carry weight.

VA recently committed $16 million dollars to adaptive sports programming, expanding access and connecting more Veterans with opportunities like the Winter Sports Clinic. Investments like these ensure every Veteran, regardless of age or ability, have the opportunity to rediscover what they’re capable of.

The National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is the world leader in rehabilitation for profoundly disabled Veterans from across the country. Veterans with TBIs, 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.

Veterans interested in participating in 2027 can review qualifications and applications at wintersportsclinic.org.

From Special Operations to Adaptive Sports: A Night Stalker’s New Mission

SNOWMASS, CO. – For retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Clarence Davis, life in the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (Airborne) was defined by precision, pressure, and pride.

Stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky with 1st Battalion, Davis served as an armament specialist on MH-60 Direct Action Penetrator (DAP) Black Hawks. He maintained and operated weapons systems on helicopters supporting some of the military’s most elite and secret missions.

“You volunteer for it. You assess. Not everyone makes it,” Davis said. “So, when you do, that’s something you carry forever.”

His career included 13 combat deployments and assignments in the Army’s premier Special Operations aviation unit. He rose in ranks from a Private to a Command Sgt. Major. His identity was deeply tied to the uniform.

Until it wasn’t.

While preparing for his 14th combat tour, Davis’ career came to an abrupt halt when medical officers determined he needed multiple surgeries, forcing an abrupt end to his career.

“I thought I let everyone down,” he said. “Everything I worked for, it just stopped. My identity was ripped from me.”

Like many Veterans leaving high-performing units, Davis faced more than a career transition – he faced a loss of identity.

He also was forced to step away from the physical activities that once defined him.

“I couldn’t do the things I loved anymore,” he said. “Fishing, basketball, football – running, now that was my baby.”

For a time, he felt lost and isolated.

“I was a loner,” he recalled.

That began to change in 2022, when staff from the Washington, D.C. VA Medical Center introduced him to adaptive sports.

At first, he resisted.

“If I couldn’t run, I didn’t want to do anything else,” he said.

But then his care team encouraged him to try an adaptive bike.

“I tried it, and I fell in love with it,” Davis said.

That single decision became a turning point. Since then, Davis has explored a range of adaptive sports from cycling and sled hockey to rock climbing and pickleball. What started as a physical outlet became something more.

“It’s therapeutic,” he said. “In every way.”

Finding the Team Again

What surprised him most wasn’t the sports — it was the people.

“You get around other Veterans, and something just clicks,” Davis said. “You share stories, you push each other. That camaraderie is still there.”

Through programs like the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, Davis found a community that felt familiar in a different way. The clinic, sponsored by VA and DAV, hosted each year in Snowmass, Co. For over 40 years, the clinic has allowed profoundly disabled Veterans to participate in adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving and a number of other adaptive activities, sports, and education.

Davis found the event focused less on rank or role, and more about shared experience and forward movement.

“Coming to these clinics, you meet Veterans much older and younger than you,” he said.

“You’re getting different perspectives and that diversity is important.”

Today, Davis has rebuilt his sense of purpose.  He’s a certified personal trainer, an avid pickleball player, and a mentor to other Veterans navigating life after service.

“I’m a totally different person now,” he said. “I’m still leading, just in a different way.”

Adaptive Sports, Unbreakable Bonds

The friendship between Keyla Agosto and Eva DeJesus Collazo didn’t make sense on paper.

Agosta is loud, expressive, likes the color pink, and is quick to say “yes” to everything. DeJesus Collazo is quieter, more reserved, prefers the color black, and is deliberate. Agosta loves glitter and team sports. DeJesus Collazo enjoys calmness and individual competitions.

When they first met through the San Juan VA Medical Center in Puerto Rico three years ago, even they noticed the contrast.

“Agosta talks way too much,” DeJesus Collazo said, laughing.

“I talk a lot,” Agosta agreed, also giggling. “We are just super different.”

But what started as difference turned into something deeper.

Collective resilience

The two met while navigating life after separate, life-changing diagnoses. Agosta, an Army Veteran, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS). DeJesus Collazo, an Air Force Veteran, sustained a spinal cord injury after a car accident four years ago that left her paralyzed.

Both arrived at that chapter of life differently.

For Agosta, her MS diagnosis brought a period of deep depression.

“I didn’t want to get out of bed,” she said. “My life just stopped.”

Everything shifted when she attended the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Surrounded by other Veterans with disabilities competing and laughing, something clicked.

“My life has changed, I cannot argue about that,” Agosta said.

DeJesus Collazo’s journey came with a different kind of clarity. After waking from a nine-day coma following her accident, she understood quickly what had happened. The harder part came later: acceptance.

“It got tougher months later, when you realize this is forever,” she said.

But she also found something unexpected in that loss.

“Since the accident, I’m a better person,” DeJesus Collazo said. “And more important, I’ve met better people.”

One of those people was Agosta.

From rehabilitation partners to twin flames

Over time, their friendship grew from chance introduction to daily routine — morning video calls, shared holidays, traveling together, and constant support. Despite their differences, they found alignment in how they approached life moving forward.

“We’re like a puzzle,” Agosta said. “We’re different, but we complement each other.”

That dynamic shows up everywhere.

Agosta pushes DeJesus Collazo to try more. More sports. More experiences. More socializing.

DeJesus Collazo grounds Agosta with a steadier, more direct perspective.

They show up for each other, even when it’s uncomfortable.

“She doesn’t do well with heat because of her diagnosis,” DeJesus Collazo said. “But she still shows up for me.”

Agosta returns the same energy, pulling DeJesus Collazo into activities she might otherwise avoid.

“I don’t like basketball, but here I am going to her basketball tournament,” DeJesus Collazo said while rolling her eyes, jokingly.

Connecting to Veteran wellness communities

Together, they’ve built a life that looks nothing like what either imagined after their diagnoses. Between adaptive sports, travel, school, and advocacy, both women stay busy.

And they’ve become a source of momentum not just for each other, but for other Veterans.

At events like the 40^th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, they exchange resources, share experiences, and encourage others who may still be struggling to leave their homes or redefine what life looks like after injury or illness.

For Agosta, that purpose is personal.

“If you think you can’t do something, just try,” she said. “At least try.”

DeJesus Collazo’s message is just as direct.

“Take the chance,” she said. “There’s nothing waiting for you at home.”

Their friendship wasn’t built on similarity. It was built on contrast, honesty, and a shared refusal to stop.

Opposites, undeniably.

But together, they are stronger than either would be alone.

From Injury to Independence: “I never thought I’d be skiing”

For U.S. Air Force Veteran Salvador Vasquez, the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is about more than just skiing, it’s about reclaiming strength and confidence after devastating injuries.

Now in his fourth year attending the clinic, the Gulf War Veteran continues to push his limits in new ways. This year, that challenge meant skiing without ski poles, something he had depended on in previous years for balance and stability.

“My instructors said, ‘We don’t have any polls for you,’ and I was like…what?!” Vasquez said with a laugh. “But sometimes you’ve just got to just do through it. That’s how you get better.”

What may have started as a surprise quickly became a breakthrough. Without poles to lean on, Vasquez was encouraged to rely more on his legs, core strength, and body awareness.

The decision wasn’t accidental.

Before hitting the slopes, his instructors, Bruce Tubbs and Molly Nickel, reviewed his history and noticed a pattern: Vasquez often ended his runs early due to fatigue and back pain. To address that, they made a deliberate call to remove the poles and push him to engage his lower body more effectively.

“We needed him to connect with what his body is doing with what his legs are doing,” Tubbs explained. “By taking away the poles, he couldn’t rely on them for balance, so he had to use his legs more.”

Run after run, Vasquez began to find that connection, completing multiple descents without needing physical support.

“He’s building confidence every time,” Nickel added. “It’s working.”

That progress is especially significant given where his journey began. Vasquez suffered catastrophic injuries that left him questioning what his future would look like. He broke both legs, his pelvis, neck and ribs, with some injuries so severe they displaced bones through his skin.

“I never thought I’d be skiing,” Vasquez candidly said.

Through recreation therapy at the VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Vasquez was introduced to adaptive sports as part of his recovery. His first experience at the Winter Sports Clinic four years ago was anything but easy.

“That first year, it was tough,” Vasquez said candidly. “They started me out on a ski bike.”

Over time, with consistent effort and guidance, he progressed back onto skis, first with support, then with poles, and now without.

For Vasquez, adaptability isn’t just about equipment, it’s about mindset. Learning to trust his body again, to push through discomfort, and to accept challenges has been central to his growth.

“I’m glad Bruce and Molly are courageous enough with me to push me,” Vasquez said.

Beyond the physical gains, Vasquez says the clinic provides something just as important: connection.

“When you’re disabled, it’s hard to leave your home sometimes,” Vasquez said. “You get comfortable there. But when you come out here, you’re one with everybody, especially us Veterans.”

That sense of camaraderie mirrors the bonds he formed during his 22 years of military service.

“We don’t do this alone,” Vasquez said. “That’s how we get through things – together.”

From relying on a cane to walk to skiing independently down the mountain, Vasquez’s journey is a powerful reminder that progress often begins by approaching discomfort and choosing to keep going.

April 6, 2026

Marine Corps Veteran Embraces First Winter Sports Clinic

Joe Gibson arrived with a mix of curiosity and excitement to the 40^th anniversary of the Winter Sport Clinic at Snowmass Village, Colorado. The U.S. Marine Corps Veteran was ready to take on a new kind of challenge far different from what he’s known back home in Salem, Ohio.

Gibson, who became paraplegic following a car accident nearly 16 years ago, is attending the clinic for the first time. Often referred to as “Miracles on a Mountainside,” Veterans from across the country gather to participate in adaptive winter sports and outdoor activities. Gibson first learned about the Winter Sports Clinic through the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center where he receives his health care.

“I’m excited to ski a real mountain,” Gibson said when asked about the experience ahead. “I’ve done some skiing before, but always in Ohio.”

Veterans with severe disabilities can participate in alpine skiing by using special equipment, like sit-skis, that are adapted to their individual needs. The equipment is specially tailored to improve comfort, provide postural support, and maximize safety for the Veterans.

While Gibson has some familiarity with winter conditions, he was quick to point out the difference. Back home, ski runs are modest in size, with vertical drops ranging roughly 200 to 300 feet. In Colorado, the terrain presents an entirely new level of scale and excitement.

In addition to skiing, Gibson is also looking forward to trying fly fishing, another outdoor activity he regularly enjoys.

Though the Colorado mountain may be unfamiliar, Gibson isn’t going in alone. He’s been paired with a coach, Nicole Fear, who he’s worked with during previous ski events, and he expressed appreciation for her continued support.

“Thank you for all the help, it means a lot,” Gibson said.

With a positive outlook and a willingness to try something new, Gibson is ready to make the most of his first Winter Sports Clinic, one mountain at a time.