2019​ Participant Bio

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One of the first U.S. soldiers injured in Iraq, this now 38-year-old Army veteran has come a long way since he was seriously wounded on March 31, 2003. An Army medic with the 82nd Airborne, Babin was hit several times by small arms fire while rushing to the aid of a wounded soldier. The bullets tore through his abdomen, damaging about 90 percent of his stomach. Babin wasn’t expected to survive after he was shot, then following a stroke spent two and a half years in hospitals, unconscious for most of the time. After more than 70 surgeries and numerous hospital stays, Alan “Doc” Babin, a native of Round Rock, Texas, is ready to challenge the slopes of the Rocky Mountains once again.

 

“Since my first time at the Winter Sports Clinic, I’m feeling stronger,” Babin said. “I am doing more things for myself than I was before. Now, I am able to ski, scuba dive, lift weights and travel with my family. My parents worked hard to help me stay healthy, and they motivated me to keep trying new experiences. You have to keep moving along and find your new normal.”

 

Babin believes in challenging himself with new things, whether they involve skiing the Rockies or medaling in National Veterans Wheelchair Games in the summer. In the Wheelchair Games, Babin has claimed medals in events such as quad rugby and a motorized wheelchair rally, and also reached his personal weightlifting record. Now, he stays active in both handcycling and weightlifting to stay on the road to good health.

 

At Babin’s first Winter Sports Clinic in 2007, he skied alongside his father, Al Sr., who described skiing beside his son as “a highlight of my life.” Babin remains committed to overcoming the obstacles he faces and build on his previous successes – on the mountain and off. “I want to reunite with friends from past years and continue receiving the good therapy the mountain provides,” he said. “The Clinic gives me a sense of peacefulness.” In the past, Alan Babin was quoted as saying, “Never, never, never give up.” He continues to live by those words and remains an inspiration to others.