VA Augusta Veterans find transformation, community at Winter Sports Clinic
PRESS RELEASE
April 1, 2025
Augusta , GA — Seven Veteran patients who receive their care from VA Augusta Health Care System are poised to show the world their resilience and determination this week as they participate in the 39th National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic in Aspen-Snowmass, Colorado.
These exceptional Veterans join more than 400 participants in what is fondly referred to as “Miracles on a Mountainside.”
“The Winter Sports Clinic is more than a therapeutic event; it's a celebration of spirit and a testament to the unyielding determination of our nation’s Veterans,” said Suzanne Kendrick, a VA Augusta recreation therapist who is in Colorado supporting the Veterans.
Veteran Name
Dills, Jason
Dotson, Amy
Hall, Justin
Layne, Sheldon
Maddox, Lisa
Mazyck, Centra
Rapp, Rickie
The Clinic, co-sponsored by the VA and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), runs through April 5 and provides adaptive sports therapy opportunities for Veterans with disabilities. The diverse lineup of activities includes skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving, snowmobiling, and rock climbing, offering participants a chance to push their limits and redefine what is possible.
For National Guard Veteran Jason Dills, the event is more than a series of activities — it’s a chance to find a sense of normalcy and community.
“It gives me a chance to feel normal,” he said. “It’s liberating to be out in public with others like myself.”
Army Veteran Justin Hall echoed similar sentiments about the life-changing impact of adaptive sports, underscoring the transformative power of the clinic.
“It means living, honestly, and I know that’s like a common answer but before I started doing sports, I wasn’t doing anything at all,” said Hall. “I was just learning how to survive, not live.”
For Navy Veteran Sheldon Lane, the clinic represents an opportunity to connect with others in similar circumstances.
“It means getting out of the house. Being active,” said Lane. “It’s an opportunity to meet up with fellow Veterans like myself — people in my situation in general — and be able to learn from them and they learn from me.”
B-roll video and photos will be available during the event at https://www.wintersportsclinic.org/media.
Photos will be updated each day of the event beginning April 1 and can be searched by bib number at https://runsignup.com/Race/Photos/CO/SnowmassVillage/wsc2024.
To request an interview, contact wintersportsclinic@va.gov or call 303-319-3798.
Will Martin, Chief of Public Affairs
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