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After Two Days of Hiking and One Day at the Lake, ASF’s Warriors in Motion Hiking Event Concludes

WINDHAM, N.Y. – The Adaptive Sports Foundation’s Warriors in Motion® (WIM) hiking event, which included two days of hiking and one lake day, concluded on Thursday.

“I had a great time this week. The program has helped me to stay away from my comfort zone and get more involved with other people and other veterans,” U.S. Army veteran Alberto Corales said at the end of the three-day event. “It also helped me get to know myself more. Sometimes you have things that you don’t know you are capable of doing. I had a great experience and I am very grateful for it.”

Corales, seven other veterans and four volunteers began the excursion on Tuesday afternoon, arriving at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center for meet and greets, a rundown of what to expect in the coming days and gear-fitting. From there the group ventured down to Elka Park for its first hike, a trek up the Pecoy Notch Trail. The path winds up about 600 feet of elevation to the Eagle’s Keep Rock Thrones, a series of chairs made up of rocks and stones that provides a well-earned resting spot with a beautiful view. After taking in the scenery, the WIM team trekked back down the mountain and managed to make it back to the ASF shuttle bus before the rain came. They then returned to ASF for dinner at 6 p.m.

The Warriors in Motion stayed in Windham on Wednesday for an all-day hike up to Windham High Peak. The veterans were picked up from their hotel at 9 a.m. and brought over to Elm Ridge to begin their journey. As many locals know, the terrain is difficult to navigate, but even more so towards the summit. That makes a challenging hike even more difficult, especially when the participants knew they were so close to the top. When they reached the apex of the mountain, the breathtaking view and the feeling of accomplishment was a well-earned reward. After taking photos and eating lunch, the only thing left to do was to begin their descent down the mountain.

When all was said and done, Wednesday’s hike was a total of around seven miles with a climb of 1,800 feet. It was a heroic effort by all involved that deserved a more relaxed third day of the event. So, for the final day of the excursion, the WIM team went to Colgate Lake for some fun in the sun. It provided a place for the warriors to hike the different paths around the lake, but mainly relax. Some veterans even got a brief guitar lesson from Program Manager Tony Vasile. Once lunchtime came around, the group went back to the ASF lodge for eat before parting ways.

“This was a great experience. I appreciate the challenge to push myself to do things I sometimes think I can’t do,” U.S. Air Force veteran Anne Maker shared. “I keep coming back to the Adaptive Sports Foundation because they do challenge me, they do push me to my limits and support me in the activities.”

The next Warriors in Motion program will take place in two weeks, when the ASF will host its WIM Golf event for three days from September 13-September 15. If you’d like to donate to the Adaptive Sports Foundation’s Warriors in Motion program, or any of the other programs the ASF has to offer, click here.

 

Check out the video below to hear some of our WIM participants describe their experience!