Highlighted Stories

Shared grief brings healing on the mountain

By Donna J. Bell Director of Communications Integrated Veterans Affairs At the top of Snowmass this year, Jorge DeCastro-Cordeiro paused and looked out over the mountain. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes for a minute. He steadied himself, settled into the moment, and gave silent homage to his son. “Snowmass is a mountain of healing,” he said, describing the moment. “You can feel it up here.” A retired Army Ranger, who served 22 years with multiple deployments, DeCast

Apr 10

WSC Leads Amputated Sailor Toward Ski Patrol

By Medina Ayala-Lo Bay Pines VA Public Affairs Officer From his first exhilarating descent down the slopes, Kevin Beck was hooked. Whether it was carving through the powder in Japan or schussing the Swiss Alps, there wasn’t a mountain range the U.S. Navy Veteran encountered that he did not yearn to traverse. Skiing became more than a pastime; it became a passion imparted to his children and one he indulged in at every opportunity. That is, until the events of that life-alteri

Apr 10

Blind Veteran builds a way forward for others

By Donna J. Bell Director of Communications Integrated Veteran Care From the outside, Zack Tidwell looked like he had everything under control. In 2019, he was constantly on the move, juggling a full-time job while also attending college. A U.S. Marine, who served from 2014 to 2018, Tidwell was a self-described adrenaline junkie. Skiing, dirt bike racing, daily gym sessions, Jiu-Jitsu – he pushed himself, the Devil Dog way. But hiding within was a mental turbulence he couldn’

Apr 10

From Injury to Independence: “I never thought I’d be skiing”

Bailey Breving VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System Public Affairs Specialist For U.S. Air Force Veteran Salvador Vasquez, the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic is about more than just skiing, it’s about reclaiming strength and confidence after devastating injuries. Now in his fourth year attending the clinic, the Gulf War Veteran continues to push his limits in new ways. This year, that challenge meant skiing without ski poles, something he had depended on in

Apr 10

WSC Encourages Mobility for Formerly Paralyzed Veteran

By Medina Ayala-Lo, Bay Pines VA Public Affairs Officer The year was 2021, and U.S. Army Veteran Andrew Carpenter was brimming with contentment. He was building a career as a software account executive and embracing life in the ever-changing, yet illuminated daze of first-time parenthood. Then without warning, everything changed. After 15 years of military service and overseeing countless tactical aircraft missions, Carpenter had grown accustomed to unpredictability. But ther

Apr 7

Marine Corps Veteran Embraces First Winter Sports Clinic

By Bailey Breving National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic writer Joe Gibson arrived with a mix of curiosity and excitement to the 40 th anniversary of the Winter Sport Clinic at Snowmass Village, Colorado. The U.S. Marine Corps Veteran was ready to take on a new kind of challenge far different from what he’s known back home in Salem, Ohio. Gibson, who became paraplegic following a car accident nearly 16 years ago, is attending the clinic for the first time. Often ref

Apr 6

Downed pilot’s mission to uplift fellow Veterans

By Donna J. Bell Director of Communications, Integrated Veteran Care It began with a shudder. June 12, 2004. The sky over Taji, Iraq, shimmers in the heat as U.S. Army Chief Warrant Officer 4 Brent South, strapped in the seat of a Kiowa Warrior OH-58D helicopter, scans the terrain below. His breath catches as he spies soldiers forced to their knees in the dirt – the unmistakable posture of execution. As South, and the pilot of his companion helicopter, cut across the sky thei

Apr 5