Veterans find confidence on the slopes

The mountain slopes of the Winter Sports Clinic can’t fix everything, but for a week, it helped Veterans with disabilities remember that pushing boundaries—and not their limitations—is what defines them.

Facing limits, pushing beyond

U.S. Army Veteran Jorge Decastro-Cordeiro, pictured above, looked up from the slopes of Snowmass and said, “I call this a mountain of healing. It changed my life.”

In 2010, during his fourth deployment to Iraq, the explosion from an improvised explosive device (IED) left him with a traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Decastro-Cordeiro, like every Veteran who shows up to Snowmass, Colorado, for the weeklong National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic (Winter Sports Clinic) navigates injuries that changed how he can move and experience life.

Each Veteran’s story and injuries are different. Their injuries—TBI, spinal cord injuries, visual impairments, amputations and other severe disabilities—brought them to the mountain, but it’s their ability to push beyond boundaries, connect with other Veterans and seek the freedom of movement that unites them.

This year marked Decastro-Cordeiro’s sixth trip to the Winter Sports Clinic. For him, what started as a challenge became a crucial part of his ongoing recovery.

Miracles on the mountainside

This month, nearly 400 Veterans met at the 39th Winter Sports Clinic to participate in adaptive skiing, sled hockey, curling, snowmobiling, fly fishing, scuba diving and other events.

Some were participating for the first time. Others came back to push a little further than they did the year before.

Momentum and connection for the future

Army Veteran Kenneth Warkocki made his first trip to the Winter Sports Clinic this year. After struggling with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD,) TBI and chronic pain for years, he started working with VA Salt Lake City Health Care System’s recreation therapy and Whole Health.

He trained for downhill skiing, lost 40 pounds, and earned a scholarship to participate. He also found something he didn’t expect—trust.

“It helped with the isolation part of dealing with TBI and other chronic health issues,” Warkocki said. “I wanna [sic] return next year. I found I could participate and be myself around the team. I’m looking forward to more healing and staying committed to the adaptive sports program.”

Navy Veteran Rachel Rice returned for her second Winter Sports Clinic. In September 2019, while training for a marathon, her legs started to “fall out from under her.” By December, she could barely walk and would be diagnosed with a spinal cord illness.

For Rice, the Winter Sports Clinic connects her to the thrill of skiing. “It’s like having your own personal roller coaster. It’s freeing…you can go and do not feel held back,” she shared.

First-time participant and Army Veteran Curtis Jemison began losing his vision in 2024. 

“I think I’m in bad shape, and there are some worse off than me,” Jemison said. “They are out here, pushing themselves, and they motivate me to push on.”

The road to the big 4-0

Jemison is determined to return to Snowmass for the 2026 Winter Sports Clinic.

“We are a special branch of people—disabled Veterans. If you are disabled, don’t think you can’t do it, because you can,” he said. “I’ll be back again next year on the 40th. This is a great program, and I see why they’ve had it for 39 years.”

The Winter Sports Clinic is co-hosted by VA and Disabled American Veterans (DAV). More than 600 volunteers and staff helped make this year’s event possible. As Veterans head home, they take new skills, stronger bonds and confidence that will carry over long after the snow has melted.

Next year marks 40 years of Veterans finding “Miracles on a Mountainside.” Learn more or get involved.