After three days of visiting local lakes, the Adaptive Sports Foundation’s Warriors in Motion®(WIM) kayaking and paddling event concluded on Thursday.

“I had a really great time this week,” warrior Greg Rinckey said looking back on the program. “Coming back to the ASF is like coming home again. It’s great spending time with the other veterans and just having a good time laughing and talking about life and challenges.”

The event began on Tuesday afternoon, after five veterans and six volunteers came to Windham to meet at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center and have a lunch before heading over to nearby Camp Oh-Neh-Tah. The ASF stores its kayaks and paddleboards at the camp’s lake, so the participants could easily pick out their vessel for the week and cruise around in the water for the afternoon. After spending a few hours getting adjusted to their boats and boards at Camp Oh-Neh-Tah, the Warriors in Motion checked into their hotels and ventured back to the ASF lodge for dinner.

Wednesday was an all-day affair at North-South Lake in Haines Falls as the group arrived at the lake around 10 a.m. and hit the water. The temperature was in the upper-80s, but being on the water offered a cool breeze and a refreshing break from the heat. After lunch and a rehydration break on the shore, the majority of the group went back in their boats to explore more of the water, while others stayed ashore and kept cool.

The final lake the group visited on Thursday morning was Colgate Lake, located southwest of Windham. A small lake, the warriors were able to explore their surrounding and relax under the sun on the cool water. It was a nice way to spend a morning before heading back to ASF for a lunch and goodbyes.

Molly Hursh, a volunteer who participated in this week’s event, always enjoys spending time with the ASF. “I love being with the warriors, it’s so much fun,” she said. “All of the volunteers here…it just makes my heart swell.”

The WIM program provides participating injured United States servicemen and women with a basic knowledge and practice of wellness and the importance of lifelong healthy living. All Warriors in Motion programs are goal oriented and empower the warrior to take charge of their own fitness and wellness.

This was the ASF’s first kayaking/paddling program of the summer, with another one scheduled in early August. The ASF’s next Warriors in Motion event will take place on August 2-4 and will be its second mountain biking event of the summer. Thanks to a grant from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, the ASF will be able to provide boats, gear, water bottles, all meals, hotel rooms, snacks, water, sports drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos (if necessary) and maps, both digital and paper copies.

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.

 

View the below video to hear testimonials from some of this week’s Warriors in Motion and Volunteers!