WINDHAM, N.Y. – The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) is gearing up to host its Warriors in Motion® (WIM) flatwater kayaking event next week from July 25-27.

The ASF will welcome six U.S. Military veterans, including U.S. Army veteran Alberto Corales-Santiago, to the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center on Tuesday afternoon to meet with ASF staff and volunteers. This will be Corales-Santiago’s first time kayaking with ASF, but it isn’t his first WIM event. “I like the camaraderie with the other veterans,” he explained. “It serves as a reminder that I’m not the only one dealing with PTSD, depression or any other mental health issue. Participating in these events with other veterans reminds me that life goes on, regardless of any hardships we’re going through. It’s kind of a group therapy.”

The warriors and volunteers will share a lunch on day one before they get ready to hit Silver Lake at nearby Camp Oh-Neh-Tah, where the ASF stores its kayaks and boats. At the camp, the participants will pick out their vessels, receive their life preservers and hit the water for a relaxing afternoon, Tuesday is a day for the warriors to get acclimated with their kayaks and get a feel for how to turn and propel themselves through the water. Afterwards, the warriors will check into their hotels and get ready for dinner at ASF.

The WIM team will hit the road and head to North-South Lake in nearby Haines Falls on Wednesday morning for an all-day kayaking session, with a quick break for lunch. North-South Lake, a popular summer camping destination, is essentially two lakes in one, giving the warriors ample time to explore. When everyone has their share of the water, the participants will hop back on the ASF shuttle bus and return to their hotels to get ready for another catered dinner at the ASF lodge.

The warriors and volunteers will spend Thursday morning in Jewett at Colgate Lake. The lake features hiking trails as well around the water, which the ASF have utilized in the past. After a morning of kayaking and hiking, the WIM team will return to ASF for a barbecue lunch and departures.

“My mind needs to be occupied, so when I do any kind of sport it really helps me emotionally as well as physically,” Corales-Santiago said. “Whenever I participate in any kind of sport, in this case kayaking, it really helps my mental health. It makes me feel good and I’m able to forget about my anxiety for the time being.”

The ASF’s Warriors in Motion 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 WIM programs are goal-oriented and empower the warrior to take charge of their own fitness and wellness.

Warriors in Motion is funded by donations that were generously given to the Adaptive Sports Foundation. Thanks to these donations, the Adaptive Sports Foundation will be able to provide equipment, water bottles, all meals, snacks, water, sports drinks, sunscreen, bug spray and ponchos (if necessary) for this upcoming event.

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.