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Did you know that the National Sports Center for the Disabled is the only adaptive sports program in Grand County and the Denver area that provides weekly experiences for veterans year-round? No matter the weather, the nonprofit sports center provides outdoor activities.
In fact, the sports center was born on the snow. It all started when Winter Park Ski School instructor Hal O’Leary taught 23 young amputees to ski in January 1970. Now, the center offers activities for a range of people, from professional adaptive skiers to veterans who have recently lost limbs.
When the snow flies, its staff works with veterans as they downhill ski and snowboard at Winter Park Resort or cross-country ski at YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch. Other winter sports include snowshoeing, shooting, fat biking and more.
“The (National Sports Center for the Disabled’s) programs are designed to help veterans with disabilities to rethink their own abilities and reimagine what is possible in their own lives,” said Julie Taulman, president and CEO of the sports center. “Currently, no other adaptive sports providers in the Denver metro area and Grand County are providing the depth and breadth of programs for veterans with disabilities.”
The sport center’s signature fundraising event is the Wells Fargo Ski Cup. Held annually at Winter Park Resort, the fundraiser draws participants of all ability levels to ski or snowboard — from professional athletes to kids. Many of the athletes are veterans.
Iraq War veteran Kyle Moxley trains with the sports center as a competitive skier. He’s gone from simply trying to recover from his combat injury to competing on the international adaptive ski circuit. He has participated in the ski cup five years in a row.
“When I was in the military, I always wanted to represent the U.S. in everything I did,” he said. “Now I can still do that, with being injured.”
The National Sports Center for the Disabled’s Military Appreciation Program is designed for veterans to build social support networks with other veterans. Recently, the program got a boost from the Disabled Veterans National Foundation.
“We are proud to support the NSCD in their commitment to empowering veterans through adaptive sports,” said Joseph VanFonda, CEO of the foundation. “Their programs offer not only physical activity, but also crucial social support and a sense of community, which are vital for the well-being and reintegration of veterans.”
With the foundation’s support, the sports center is able to provide free adaptive sports for veterans and active military members with disabilities. With the burden of cost removed, participants of all walks of life can experience diverse outdoor pursuits.
Taulman said other organizations contribute financially to the appreciation program, as well.
On Oct. 7, 2024, the Department of Veterans Affairs for Colorado awarded the sports center $145,394.
“The funding allows us to continue to provide these really important programs for military,” Taulman said. “They’re utilizing the great outdoors to help support them through their recovery from either a disability or PTSD, or if they have a social-emotional scar from serving in the military.”
The sports center meets veterans and military members where they are, whether they are still in the armed forces or recovering from injuries they sustained while serving their country.
“What the NSCD has literally done for me is they’ve taken me from 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 adaptability — but now I have a new perspective.”
The National Sports Center for the Disabled was honored with the 2024 Top of the Hill award from the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame. Staff from the sports center attended the award ceremony in September at the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail. The award category recognizes entities that have contributed to the development of skiing in Colorado.
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