![]() Army veterans who served in Vietnam, also were skiing at the Aspen Advanced Retreat.īoth said they were in Aspen to help rather than be helped. ELDER VETERANS HELP OUTįrank Anderson and George "Yogi" Lawrence, both from Montrose and U.S. "It's a good, relaxing, fun time," Causey said. He was working with longtime adaptive ski instructor and guide Bob Lemley at Aspen Mountain last week, trying to pick up that extra speed and feed that competitive edge.īoth Monzon and Causey said they have urged other veterans to attend the CAMO retreats. That didn't deter him from getting back on the slopes. In January, he was pushing so hard in a race at Aspen that he fell on one of the final gates, split his helmet and suffered a concussion. He has participated at the Disabled American Veteran Winter Sports Clinic at Snowmass in prior years and has come to CAMO clinics before. He started skiing in 2010, but three years ago, "I really started pushing it and getting into race camps," he said. "It's learning a trust issue with your guides." "Skiing didn't come naturally," said Monzon, 50, a Southern California native and San Diego resident. He lost partial sight, making trips to the slopes particularly challenging. Monzon was riddled with shrapnel and suffered extensive injuries. He was engaged in a firefight in Fallujah, Iraq, in 2004, when the enemy was dropping mortar fire on him and his colleagues. That sentiment was shared by Sergio Monzon, a powerful-looking former U.S. "If you're on the mountain pissed off, there's something wrong." "It's almost like an intentional reset," he said. Causey took it all in stride and raved about the experience. He kept nagging him to keep his head over his body instead of out over his outriggers, the special ski poles used by sit-skiers. He was making lap after lap with guide Jeff Pitts, an instructor for adaptive skiers with Challenge Aspen. He wants to return as often as he can to the slopes of Aspen and Snowmass. VETERANS PUSH THEIR LIMITSĬausey attended previous CAMO retreats, including the couples' one with his wife. "I just sit at my desk and bawl like a baby," Klonowski said. He's witnessed the benefit of getting the veterans out on the slopes and heard their testimonials. The divorce rate among injured veterans runs in excess of 80 percent, according to Klonowski. Many Vietnam War veterans weren't diagnosed with PTSD until years after they served, he noted.ĬAMO also offers couples' retreats for injured veterans and their spouses. Klonowski said every veteran invited is facing some type of challenge, though it's not always obvious. ![]() CAMO also holds retreats for female veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as the direct result of sexual assault while serving. That grew to 185 this winter, according to program director John Klonowski.Ĭausey and four colleagues participated in the 13th winter retreat for veterans this winter. In the 2014-15 season, CAMO was able to host 162 injured military personnel, their caregivers and/or spouses. It holds adaptive recreational programs in the winter and summer, and it's been steadily growing. He was on Aspen Mountain recently thanks to the Challenge Aspen Military Operations program, also known as CAMO.įORT COLLINS: Experience Horsetooth Rock for the sunrise GETTING INJURED VETS ON THE SLOPESĬhallenge Aspen started a program in 2005 to serve the increasing number of newly injured soldiers returning from battle in the Middle East. He's skied as often as possible since that first time on the slopes, though he took the winter of 2013-14 off when his daughter was born. He was heavily medicated on his first trip, but as he healed, he took to the slopes.Īnd he's good. But he loves the outdoors, he said, and decided there was no reason for his disability to keep him off the slopes. Causey, 37, had learned to snowboard in the Alps, but that was a decade earlier. While rehabilitating at Walter Reed Hospital, one of his therapists urged him to try a ski trip. I've been blown up eight times," said the affable man from Birmingham, Alabama. Army veteran lost both legs above his knees while working on a bomb squad southwest of Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Sept. "I'm an adrenaline junkie, a thrill-seeker," Causey said while taking a break for lunch at the Sundeck. He sought them out then carved down the corduroy for another ride up the Ajax Express, the Aspen Times reported (). It was clear the lips and ledges on Pump House Hill and other ski trails didn't intimidate him. ![]() ASPEN - Aaron Causey flew through the air with the greatest of ease while on his monoski at Aspen Mountain. ![]()
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