So Began the Journey

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.