Summary
11 Veterans will participate in the ASF's WIM Women's Retreat August 24-27
WINDHAM, N.Y. — The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) will host a special Warriors in Motion® (WIM) event Aug. 24-27 exclusively for injured female veterans.
The ASF hosted a WIM Women’s Retreat last summer, and it was so well received that the foundation brought it back this year. U.S. Army and National Guard veteran Bethany Sagsveen, who skied with the ASF this past winter, is looking forward to returning to the Upstate New York, this time in the summer.
“I’m coming over from Minnesota, and even though I went to high school in Pennsylvania, I never really experienced that area of the country,” Sagsveen said. “When I went skiing earlier this year, I was shocked at how wonderful the Catskills were, and I’m excited to explore more of the area.”
Sagsveen and 10 other veterans are scheduled to arrive in Windham on Monday evening. After checking into their hotels and settling in, the ASF shuttle will take them to Christman’s Windham House for a welcome dinner. The group will then have a chance to stroll the Windham Path for a sunset walk.
The first full day of activities begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday, when the ASF shuttle will pick up participants at their hotels and take them to North-South Lake. The veterans and volunteers will hike in the morning before breaking for lunch. In the afternoon, they will hop into kayaks and cruise around the two lakes for a couple of hours before returning to their hotels.
For dinner Tuesday evening, the veterans will head to the Windham residence of ASF friend Rick Quattrini. Quattrini will host a special dinner prepared over an outdoor fire with the help of the participants. The group will also have a chance to play outdoor games, including pickleball and disc golf.
On Wednesday, the shuttle will pick up the veterans at 9 a.m. and head across the Hudson River to Copake, where they will begin a 16.5-mile bike ride along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail. They will travel south to the village of Millerton, where they will stop for lunch at the Oakhurst Diner. After lunch, the group will ride north back into Copake, where the ASF shuttle will be waiting to transport them back to Windham.
The veterans will have another special dinner outing Wednesday evening, hosted by ASF donor and longtime friend Rosie Stubbs.
Stubbs, who lives next door to the ASF lodge, has supported the Warriors in Motion program since its inception. She and her late husband, former ASF Chairman Bob Stubbs, championed the creation of a program for injured veterans more than 20 years ago.
On Thursday, the final day of the event, participants will drive themselves to Mountain Breeze Yoga at 9 a.m. for an hourlong chair yoga session. They will then participate in a yarn workshop at the Knitting Room before returning to Christman’s Windham House for a farewell lunch.
“I’ve been participating with women-specific veterans programs for about 15 years, and programs that encompass the outdoors are my favorite, and I feel are super important,” Sagsveen said. “A lot of times, society in general is not always friendly to women who are not engulfed in their makeup and looking ‘fancy.’ When it’s a women’s-only program, the ability to relax and just be yourself is a lot easier. Women encourage each other in different ways, and when we can relax, feel safe and feel that we’re surrounded by those who support us, it’s a great feeling.”
Thanks to grants and private donations, the ASF provides participants with all necessary equipment, helmets, water bottles, meals, hotel accommodations, snacks, drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos, when needed, and digital and printed trail maps.
About the Warriors in Motion Program
The Warriors in Motion program provides injured U.S. servicemen and women with a foundation in wellness and lifelong healthy living. All WIM programs are goal-oriented and empower participants to take charge of their fitness and wellness. For more information, click here.