Winter Sports Help Semper Fi Fund Vets Recover at Aspen Advanced Ski and Snowboard Camp February 21 – 25, 2017

Who: 30 elite level service member athletes from Team Semper Fi (TSF) and Team America’s Fund, including athletes currently named to to the U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing National Team.

What: Team Semper Fi and Team America’s Fund will hit the slopes in the Aspen Ski and Snowboard Elite Camp in Aspen, Colorado. These incredible, inspiring athletes will build more than just skills at this unforgettable event—they’ll also leave with camaraderie, confidence and lifelong bonds with their fellow teammates. During the three-day camp, the service members will receive instruction from world-class coaches. Among the coaches will be:

Jonathan Mika: Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club Program Director, 2012 International Paralympic coach of the year, former Paralympic National Team coach, born and raised in Aspen

Ray Watkins: Named U.S. Olympic Committee’s 2010 Paralympic Coach of the Year, Watkins’ has accumulated one of the most impressive resumes of any Paralympic alpine skiing coach in the world

Mike Shea:  One of the top adaptive snowboarders in the world, Shea won the first-ever Overall title at the 2014 International Paralympic Committee Alpine Skiing Para-Snowboard World Cup  and won a Paralympic silver medal at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in snowboard cross

Keith Gabel: Gabel is a top-ranked international snowboarder who won a bronze medal at the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Games

https://www.aspensnowmass.com/our-mountains/aspen-mountain

Why: “Recovery Through Sport™” – Skiing and snowboarding are ideal outlets for injured service members to hone both physical agility and mental focus, skills that are critical to navigating their recovery.  Learning and practicing alongside fellow wounded service members, they also have the opportunity to trade stories, share strategies for coping with their injuries, and forge lasting friendships.

#Events require a qualifying standard, which vary by sport