VA Salt Lake City Health Care System

Two Salt Lake City Veterans Share a ride on a tandum bike on their way to the next event at the 2014 VA Summer Sports Clinic in San Diego, Ca.

Two Army Vets and a Navy Corpsman may have some disabilities that can hold them back at times, but not in San Diego, and not during the Summer Sports Clinic!  They accepted the challenge and excelled. The 7th Annual National Disabled Veterans Summer Sports Clinic is an amazing week-long event offering Salt Lake Veterans and others from across the nation the chance to sail, surf, run, throw, climb, kayak and cycle.  Neil Fadden, Bryan Smethurst and Brett Harrison quickly earned a reputation for being quite adapt at learning the various skills to compete at a high level. Recreation Therapist Bill Klinger says the trio pushed themselves physically and emotionally to meet the challenges of the week.

In preparation for the clinic, Bryan and Brett tried their hands in various sports throughout the year to include cross country skiing, snowboarding, scuba diving, golf and kayaking. Turns out it was good training for the real deal. Neil, who served in the Navy, discovered the joy of surfing, Brett and Bryan became proficient at tandem bicycling, Bryan also learned the finer techniques of Kayaking and Brett found the mark in archery. 

The goal of the clinic is to provide Veterans from all over the country with a variety of injuries, ranging from traumatic brain injury, to spinal cord injury to limb loss the chance to feel normal again while bonding with fellow Veterans.  These Veterans battling back from injury, not only strengthen their bodies, but leave with a sense of overwhelming accomplishment and confidence.  Oh, and did we mention, they have a blast doing it.