Disabled veteran water ski athletes Marco Bungert and Charles Wesson

USA Water Ski & Wake Sports is pleased to announce 10 sites from across the United States that will host Learn to Ski Clinics this summer for veterans with disabilities. Earlier this year USA Water Ski & Wake Sports announced it had received an adaptive sports grant totaling more than $335,000 from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veteran athletes with disabilities an opportunity to experience water skiing as a recreational and competitive activity.

The clinics are concentrated in geographical regions where there are currently limited opportunities for adaptive veterans and members of the Armed Forces.

“We are very much appreciative of the grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to support our disabled veterans and introduce them to the sport of water skiing,” said Nate Boudreaux, executive director of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports. “This unprecedented funding for our adaptive sport discipline will enable us to create more opportunities for veterans with disabilities.”

Confirmed clinic locations and dates are as follows: Seminole, Fla., May 14; Martindale, Texas, May 23; Lakeland, Fla., June 4; Locust Grove, Va., June 18; Pohick Bay, Va., July 8; Oroville, Calif., July 16; Harmony, N.C., July 30; Sandy Run, S.C., Aug. 6; Twin Lakes, Wis., Aug. 8; and Perham, Minn., Aug. 8.

As a part of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Adaptive Sports Grant, USA Water Ski & Wake Sports also will be awarding a minimum of 10 veteran adaptive water ski athletes funding to purchase relevant 3-event competition adaptive water-ski equipment up to a $9,500 value for participation. The goal of the grant is to remove some of the obstacles that prevent veteran athletes with disabilities from experiencing water skiing as a recreational and competitive activity.Disabled veteran water ski athletes Marco Bungert (Huntersville, N.C.) and Charles Wesson (Charlotte, N.C.) are the first two recipients, each being awarded $9,500 worth of 3-event competition adaptive water-ski equipment to further enable them to participate at a competitive level in water ski events.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs awards nearly $16 million through its annual Adaptive Sports Grant program to 102 national and community groups offering adaptive sports and equine therapy. The grants support more than 13,500 disabled veterans and members of the armed forces to engage in sports opportunities.

Clubs interested in hosting a clinic or competitive adaptive veteran water skiers seeking equipment funding should contact Molly Crum, partnership services manager of USA Water Ski & Wake Sports, at mcrum@usawaterski.org.

The 2022 Disabled Veteran Athlete Equipment Grant is funded by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings and conclusions stated in this article do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

10 Sites To Host Learn To Ski Clinics For Adaptive Veterans

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