"I will never forget the emotions running through me..."
Dylan Braun,
Program Coordinator, Soldiers to Summits
On November 6th of 2010, I began working with a a non-profit organization for people with disabilities providing adaptive and therapeutic recreation opportunities. Working directly with the organization’s injured/wounded military division changed my life more than I could have ever imagined at the time. I will never forget the emotions running through me as I anxiously watched a group of newly, severely wounded service members from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center arrive for a week of adaptive skiing and various other therapeutic activities. We loaded up the van with their luggage, wheelchairs and prosthetic limbs, just barely saving enough room for everyone to fit. The joking and heckling about my driving skills began immediately, something I quickly learned was a never-ending game I would never win. I was paired-up to ski with Aaron for the week. From chasing him down the slopes (barely keeping up,) to carrying his prosthetic legs on chairlifts, to the humbling conversations we had that week…this was the beginning of many unforgettable memories and friendships ahead of me.
My first experience with No Barriers was as a participant at the 2013 Summit in Telluride, where I was fortunate to witness the profound impact of the No Barriers’ mission and mindset first hand. I chatted with Tom Lillig on the bus ride back from adaptive water sports, not knowing he was the board president, until he spoke during a keynote presentation that evening. Inspired from my time at the Summit, I continued to follow the organization, and in January of this year I proudly joined the Soldiers to Summits team. I was thrilled to learn about our incredible new partnership with Wells Fargo. It is an honor to get to work with the brilliant and dedicated Wells Fargo team to continue my passion to serve veterans and service members.
You can find out more, too, about these dedicated organizations and the powerful work they do by following and sharing information from the Mission: Mt. Whitney expedition through S2S2014.org.