VA Adaptive Sports Hangout

Disabled Veterans of all ages and abilities report better health, new friendships and a better quality of life when participating in adaptive sports. This year, several Veterans, including participants of VA's Adaptive Sports program, will compete in the Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia. This hangout gives you the chance to meet some of the Veteran athletes, and ask them how the VA Adaptive Sports program has helped them not only stay active but also put them on the path to the Paralympics. Veteran Paralympian Athletes: Heath Calhoun | Alpine skiing A competitor at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, Heath Calhoun, a father of three, was the U.S. flag bearer for the Opening Ceremony, which was the highlight of his Games. He has continued to improve in alpine skiing since 2010, winning a silver medal on the world cup circuit to start his 2013-14 season. On Nov. 7, 2003, then-Army Staff Sgt. Heath Calhoun was injured while serving with the 101st Airborne in Mosul, Iraq. A bilateral above the knee amputee, he is now retired but has an active role in veteran organizations. Jon Lujan | Alpine skiing  Jon Lujan, who served in the Marine Corps for nearly eight years, suffered two ruptured discs in his back during his missions in Kuwait. During the surgery to repair his back, his spinal cord was damaged and initially Lujan was left unable to feel either leg. Following the advice of a fellow wounded veteran, Lujan took to sport for rehabilitation, eventually becoming a ski racer. He was named to his first U.S. Paralympics Alpine Skiing National Team in 2012. In his first season with the team, Lujan earned three NorAm Cup silver medals. He is now attempting to qualify for his first Paralympic Winter Games. Chris Devlin-Young | Alpine skiing While serving with the Coast Guard in Alaska in 1982, Chris Devlin-Young was injured in a plane crash, which completely paralyzed him from the knees down and partially paralyzed him below his waist. He was introduced to skiing and racing at the first Veterans Administration Winter Sports clinic. Now he is a four-time U.S. Paralympian (1994, 2002, 2008 and 2010) with eyes set on the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Winter Games. Heading into his bid for a fifth Games, Devlin-Young is a world champion and four-time Paralympic medalist. #MissionRedefined   #Veterans   #Paralympics   #TeamUSA