Sunday, March 15, 2009

Amputee vets learn more than skiing

Amputee vets learn more than skiing

Matthew B. Stannard, Chronicle Staff Writer


(03-15) 04:00 PDT Tahoe City --


The 20-year-old soldier never skied before. Had never really seen snow, save the icy inch that occasionally gathers around his Texas home.

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Friday, March 13, 2009

Wounded warriors: ‘I can do this

Wounded warriors: ‘I can do this’


By Nick Cruit
BONANZA STAFF WRITER
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Sgt. John Bott, who started the day three tracking — skiing on one ski with outriggers— learns to mono ski Wednesday afternoon during the Wounded Warrior Ability Camp at Alpine Meadows. Bott had mono skied one time before but wanted to try three tracking because it would be more challenging.
Sgt. John Bott, who started the day three tracking — skiing on one ski with outriggers— learns to mono ski Wednesday afternoon during the Wounded Warrior Ability Camp at Alpine Meadows. Bott had mono skied one time before but wanted to try three tracking because it would be more challenging.ENLARGE
Sgt. John Bott, who started the day three tracking — skiing on one ski with outriggers— learns to mono ski Wednesday afternoon during the Wounded Warrior Ability Camp at Alpine Meadows. Bott had mono skied one time before but wanted to try three tracking because it would be more challenging.
Bonanza Photo - Jen Schmidt
Sean White learns to snowboard with a little help from disabled sports instructor Kevin Kuhns during the Wounded Warrior clinics Wednesday at Alpine Meadows. White, now a below-knee amputee on the right side, was wounded during his service when a roadside bomb hit under his Humvee and tossed him out of the vehicle.
Sean White learns to snowboard with a little help from disabled sports instructor Kevin Kuhns during the Wounded Warrior clinics Wednesday at Alpine Meadows. White, now a below-knee amputee on the right side, was wounded during his service when a roadside bomb hit under his Humvee and tossed him out of the vehicle.ENLARGE

Sean White learns to snowboard with a little help from disabled sports instructor Kevin Kuhns during the Wounded Warrior clinics Wednesday at Alpine Meadows. White, now a below-knee amputee on the right side, was wounded during his service when a roadside bomb hit under his Humvee and tossed him out of the vehicle.
Bonanza Photo - Jen Schmidt

After a soft landing in the snow, Army Pvt. Richard Samudio is in high spirits on his first day learning how to ski during the Wounded Warrior Ability Camp Wednesday at Alpine Meadows. Samudio lost his leg when he was hit with two grenades while doing mounted patrol on a humvee in Baghdad.
After a soft landing in the snow, Army Pvt. Richard Samudio is in high spirits on his first day learning how to ski during the Wounded Warrior Ability Camp Wednesday at Alpine Meadows. Samudio lost his leg when he was hit with two grenades while doing mounted patrol on a humvee in Baghdad.ENLARGE

After a soft landing in the snow, Army Pvt. Richard Samudio is in high spirits on his first day learning how to ski during the Wounded Warrior Ability Camp Wednesday at Alpine Meadows. Samudio lost his leg when he was hit with two grenades while doing mounted patrol on a humvee in Baghdad.
Bonanza Photo - Jen Schmidt

After a long day of learning to snowboard wounded soldier Sean White, a below-knee amputee, and instructor Kevin Kuhns, take a break in the sun near the bottom of Subway Chair.
After a long day of learning to snowboard wounded soldier Sean White, a below-knee amputee, and instructor Kevin Kuhns, take a break in the sun near the bottom of Subway Chair.ENLARGE

After a long day of learning to snowboard wounded soldier Sean White, a below-knee amputee, and instructor Kevin Kuhns, take a break in the sun near the bottom of Subway Chair.
Bonanza Photo - Jen Schmidt

ALPINE MEADOWS — In November, 1968, just four months after losing his leg in the Vietnam War, Doug Pringle stood on one ski across from a World War II Veteran who had also lost a leg in war.

He would learn to ski for the first time that day.

On Wednesday, Pvt. Richard Samudio took to the slopes of Alpine Meadows Ski Resort in a similar position.

It was just over three months ago that Samudio, 24, lost his leg in the Iraq War, struck by two grenades while performing mounted patrol atop a humvee in Baghdad. He would also learn to ski for the first time on one leg.

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Monday, March 02, 2009

Amputee veterans relearn the lessons of golf

Amputee veterans relearn the lessons of golf

By Kevin Robbins - Austin (Texas) American-Statesman
Posted : Monday Mar 2, 2009 17:31:01 EST

FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas — A roadside bomb near Baghdad led Ryan Clark back to golf.

The 28-year-old Army infantryman from Ohio suffered a badly damaged left leg in 2007 when an improvised explosive device blew up near his vehicle in Iraq. The injury brought Clark to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where much of his leg was removed, and on a bright and breezy Monday three months later, he dressed for his first formal lesson in how to swing a short iron.

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