The 39th National Disabled Veteran’s Golf Clinic was held in Riverside, Iowa, September 8-13, 2024. The clinic unites veterans of all ages, disabilities, and branches of services. It is designed to challenge participants physically, mentally, and emotionally by offering a variety of adaptive sports and healthy food preparation classes.
BVA National Administrative Coordinator Michaun Harrison, also a member of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Group, offers her perspective of this historically popular event:
We enjoyed not only adaptive golf but bowling, water aerobics, corn hole, tai chi, cycling, rock climbing, yoga, challenge golf putting, goal ball, chair massage, and battlefield acupuncture. Goal ball, an activity designed primarily for the blind, was a noteworthy addition this year. Both veterans and staff participated in getting this new activity off the ground. The game was modified so that amputees and veterans with spinal cord injuries could also play.
The event this year brought 214 total participants, 37 of whom were women veterans. The youngest participant was 39 years old and the oldest participant was 93. The number of veterans with sight loss continues to increase every year. To bring awareness to blind and low vision veterans, BVA, and BVA Ambassadors, Anthony Woodson and I received approval from Director Nicholas Beelner and his staff to take a photo of our unique group. What made the photo opportunity more meaningful to us was that a concert commemorating the anniversary of 9-11 followed immediately after.
This was my sixth time participating in the clinic. It is heartwarming to watch veterans 36 years my senior participating in these clinics, sharing stories of their time in service, and joking and laughing. My hope is that more female and younger veterans start to participate. Each year brings new challenges. I am reunited with old friends, and united with new friends. Being around veterans cleanses me spiritually. One of my ski instructors, Pam Pettit from Adaptive Adventurers, has been my instructor since 2016. Lou Simmons, who is also my ski instructor and golf buddy, is more like family to me and we maintain contact with one another throughout the year.
After clinics such as these, I always leave with a fire in my belly to increase my level of play, continue working on being more physically fit, and eating healthier while, at the same time, always championing the cause of my fellow veterans with sight loss.
