The New England Winter Sports Clinic for Disabled Veterans has been selected to receive the Secretary’s 26th Annual Olin E. Teague Award. The VA Boston Healthcare System, in conjunction with the New England Handicapped Sports Association, sponsors the event held at Mount Sunapee, N.H., in January of each year. The clinic promotes rehabilitation by instructing physically challenged veterans in adaptive alpine skiing and winter sports. January 2007 will mark the 10th year of this event during the week of Jan. 8-12.

Recipients of the award are: VA Boston Healthcare System’s Ralph Marche, chief, voluntary service and coordinator for the Winter Sports Clinic; Richard Leeman, voluntary service specialist; and Tony Santilli, co-founder of the New England Winter Sports Clinic for Disabled Veterans.  Santilli is a VA Boston volunteer and former VA prosthetics employee, Certified Adaptive Ski instructor, and service-connected Marine who was awarded a Purple Heart from his service in Viet Nam. 

The Olin E. Teague Award Program was developed to pay tribute to the late Honorable Olin Teague, a strong advocate for veterans’ programs.  This award is one of the highest given by the VA, and honors the individual or team who has made exemplary contributions in rehabilitation and improvement in the quality of life of war-injured veterans.

The award ceremony was held Sept. 26 at the U.S. Capitol, Cannon House Office Building, in Washington, D.C.

The Bart J. Ruggiere Adaptive Sports Center offers ski lessons seven days a week at the Sun Mountain Bromley ski resort, Manchester, Vt. Skiers of all abilities are accommodated. Equipment includes bi-skis, mono-skis, outriggers, and walkers. Bibs are available for the visually- impaired.

The Bart Center will hold its second Wounded Warrior weekend Feb. 10-11. Wounded Warriors, family, and friends are invited to participate, whether they are beginner or advanced skiers.

Springtime events include kayaking and handcycling. Times, dates, and destination to be determined.

For all Bart Center activities and lessons, reservations are strongly recommended.

For more information on the Bart Center, visit www.bartcenter.com, phone 802.824.5522, ext. 430, or email bartcenter@adelphia.net.

Wounded service members from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) are invited to visit Sun Valley Adaptive Sports in Sun Valley, Idaho, for customized, one-on-one instruction of more than 50 sports and recreational activities and 15 arts and crafts activities. A wide category of sports is offered including skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking, fly fishing, kayaking, rock climbing, elk hunting, waterskiing, swimming, and even how to run a 10K, to name a few.

Visits range from five to eight days.  Sun Valley Adaptive Sports pays all travel, lodging, food, and instruction expenses for a wounded service member and a significant other. Spots are limited, so call today to make your reservation to learn the sport or activity of your dreams!  For more details email: tom@svasp.org, call 208.726.9298, or visit www.svasp.org.

Sun Valley Adaptive Sports was written up in Newsweek’s Sept. 11 issue. The article focused on three wounded warriors who visited Sun Valley for sports rehab. It can be viewed at http://www.msnbc.com/id/1462444/site/newsweek/.

Sam Blakely

Photo courtesy of Rossmiller Photography

Over President’s Day Weekend, the National Ability Center will hold a Level 1 race camp for entry-level racers, Feb. 17-19, 2007, at Park City Mountain Resort in Park City, Utah. The three-day camp will include race training and adaptive ski techniques for junior athletes and beginner racers. The weekend will be capped off with a Level 1 ski race on Monday, Feb. 19, at Park City Mountain Resort. This event is sanctioned by DS/USA.

  Fully accessible, affordable lodging is available at the National Ability Center’s Lodge at the Ranch, only minutes from the base of Park City Mountain Resort. Make your reservations early, as space is limited. Please call 435.649.3991, ext. 607, for more information regarding the camp.

Photo courtesy of Scott Sine, Park Record

Sled hockey teams from across the country will come to Park City March 8-10, 2007, to compete in the Great Salt Cup. This will be the second time the National Ability Center will host the tournament, taking place at the new and fully-accessible Park City Ice Arena.

In 2006, teams from across the country, including the New England Bruins, Colorado Avalanche, Sacramento Lightning, and home team NAC Golden Eagles competed. The Center hopes to continue growing the tournament this year, and looks for even more teams to participate. Interested teams should contact Lauren Artesani at 435.649.3991, ext. 607, or Laurena@nac1985.org.

Affordable and accessible lodging is available near the Park City Ice Arena at the National Ability Center’s Lodge at the Ranch. For room reservations, contact Larry at 435.649.3991, ext. 610.

Greg Shaw

The National Ability Center’s thrilling annual Huntsman Cup ski races, Jan. 5-7, 2007, enters its 20th year! The event

always brings together a highly competitive field of disabled racers from across the country and world. Racers include members of the United States Disabled Ski Team and competitors from as far away as Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, Chili, Canada, Australia, Germany, and Sweden.

The Huntsman Cup takes place on the same race courses used during the 2002 Olympic Winter Games at Park City Mountain Resort, and competitors will race for the fastest times in slalom, giant slalom, and super g events. This is a FIS-NORAM race and point qualifier for the Disabled World Cup and U.S. National Disabled Championships, and plays an important role in the selection process for naming the U.S. Disabled Ski Team.

Also this year, Chris Waddell will offer a “Learn to Race” Camp leading up to the event on Jan. 3 and 4, along with internationally renowned Park City Disabled Ski Team head coach Marcel Kuonen. The full day clinics will include ski and racing techniques for the full range of adaptive skiers.

For more information or to register, please contact the National Ability Center at 435.649.3991 or email info@nac1985.org.