It’s often said that everyone comes back from war changed, even if you have no injuries. But thanks to advances in battlefield medicine and surgical procedures, troops are surviving their wounds at a higher rate than ever before. That means folks are coming home changed in ways never seen in history.

That’s why VA created a number of rehabilitative programs to help disabled Veterans get out of the house and get active. Every year, VA holds events like the National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic, the Winter Sports Clinic, the Wheelchair Games, the Creative Arts Festival, the TEE Tournament, and the Golden Age Games where Veterans gather from all over the country to compete in adaptive sports. Veterans typically report better health and a better quality of life when they join in, and the camaraderie they find doesn’t hurt, either.

VA’s National Veterans Sports Programs & Special Events Office is the first place to go if you’re looking to join fellow Vets in competition. Their site has information on how to connect with community-based programs to get you in the game, as well as more information on the national events. And there are grants available for folks looking to begin or expand opportunities for disabled Veterans to participate in physical activity in their communities.

One of the most impactful things we can do is help disabled Veterans find their way after they come home, so if you’re looking to get back out there, learn more about the benefits adaptive sports programs and get started.

Topics in this story

BenefitsHealth

Leave a comment

The comments section is for opinions and feedback on this particular article; this is not a customer support channel. If you are looking for assistance, please visit Ask VA or call 1-800-698-2411. Please, never put personally identifiable information (SSAN, address, phone number, etc.) or protected health information into the form — it will be deleted for your protection.

4 Comments

  1. Stuart Cohen October 17, 2012 at 17:56

    I have participated as a Volunteer and Sponsor at many of these events over the past 7 years. Extremely honored to have the opportunity to share these experiences with these veterans.

  2. Mike October 16, 2012 at 14:31

    David’s comment above is correct. The government doesn’t always get it wrong. We live in one of the top countries in this world and it is good to see that they are helping our veteran’s in this manner.

  3. Jeanie Lowe October 9, 2012 at 20:52

    As a retired VA employee, I was allowed to participate at a VA Winter Sports Clinic. I will never forget the impact these brave men and women had on me personally! Thanks so much to all our veterans. They were the reason I was allowed to go to work every day. It is a humbling opportunity to get to go to work at the VA.

  4. David Rogers October 9, 2012 at 17:37

    This sounds like a good idea,we didn’t have anything like it when we retruned from Viet Nam,I’m proud our government honared the returning service members.v

Comments are closed.

More Stories