2019​ Participant Bio

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Martin "Kyle" Moxley, the 38 year old Army Veteran from Paonia, CO, tries to grab some quiet time after a long day of skiing, but it seems as if it will be impossible. Levi, his golden retriever mix service dog, appears to be turning on the charm with the ladies as they pass by.

 

After enlisting in the Army in 1998, Kyle was deployed to Iraq. On a routine patrol in 2004, his squad was ambushed, and in the ensuing fight, an IED blew up the truck he was in. Shrapnel tore out his right shoulder and severed the nerves of his right arm. Back then, Kyle was sent to the San Antonio VA, one of the few neurological centers. He spent about a year, off and on, going through rehab after undergoing Limb Salvage, where the nerves of his right leg were stripped and replaced into his right arm.

 

Kyle is a bit thoughtful when asked if the then-groundbreaking procedure was successful. “I’ve lost the feeling of my right foot from the ankle down, but have use of my arm and 50% of my hand,” says Kyle. He is hopeful that technology will catch up. “I’m hoping for some sort of glove that I can slip on that will give me full use of the hand.” Until then, Levi is literally his right-hand man, opening doors, turning on lights and picking things up. They have been together since 2009. Now older, the dog is enjoying his celebrity and ability to attract cooing from anyone around. Kyle is thinking that next time, he may get a service monkey.

 

As part of his rehabilitation, Kyle went back to college and earned his MBA, then moved to Alaska to work as a government contractor for a gas company in the back of beyond. When he moved back to Colorado, he decided to attend the Winter Sports Clinic for the first time in 2015. Today, he is an IPC classified downhill skier. He trains full-time in Winter Park, CO, and races with the National Sports Center for the Disabled on a mono ski.

 

During a recent training run, he tore his LCL and ACL had knee surgery. “They told me recovery would be about six months, my goal is to do it in just five,” states Kyle.

 

As he rubs his knee, he says, “The VA has taken such good care of me. It’s given me everything. I want to be active and be a role model to give something back.”