The 2024 National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic continued a legacy of bringing rehabilitation, physical therapy and adaptive sports to Veterans from across the country from Sept. 8-13 in the Riverside, Iowa, area.
Participants were Veterans with blindness or limited vision, spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, limb loss and other life-changing injuries.
Disabled American Veterans and VA co-presented the clinic with support from businesses, nonprofit organizations and individual donors.
Angela Walker attended this year’s event with a new adaptive golf club and participated using one of the adaptive golf carts, a Solo Rider.
“This has meant so much to me. I have this new club this year and the physical therapy people have helped me get back out here and enjoy myself without as much pain and everything else. It has really changed my whole outlook and life,” she shared.
More than 400 volunteers and VA staff donated their time and efforts to the event, which was hosted by the Iowa City VA Health Care System.
Helping Veterans build and maintain motivation for healthy living
The adaptive sporting event is in its 31st year and began as an event focused on blind and visually impaired Veterans in Eastern Iowa. While remaining in Eastern Iowa, the event has grown and evolved to serve a larger and more diverse population of Veterans, including those with spinal cord and traumatic brain Injuries and other life altering disabilities.
“It’s like getting one of the most important parts of my life back. Other than my faith and my family, getting golf back has been one of the most important aspects of my recovery process,” said Navy Veteran Jim Lewis, who uses Richmond VA. “I’d never seen anybody in a wheelchair golf before this event.” (Lewis is pictured in the top photo.)
Throughout the week, Veterans witnessed the transformative power of adaptive sports as they participated in golf instruction from PGA and LPGA professionals, culminating in a best ball scramble where participants practiced the skills they have learned during the event.
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I was hands on active with the program Project Hope in Colorado. Project Hope is the combined effort of the PGA and Veterans Services to help pull vets out of their own heads and experiences back into the community. I’ve recently relocated from Co.to N.Dak and was surprised to find no such effort going on here. Question; Is there a contact number in your files that can put me back in touch with either a VA or the PGA that I might work with to bring this program to this area of the country?
A fine display of care for disabled Veterans. There are a lot of us older disabled Veterans with PTSD , diabetes etc from Vie3tnam that cannot get out because of our age and walking disabilities.
Any chance you could come up with something outdoorsy for us also?
When and where is the next clinic?