WINDHAM, N.Y. — The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) will visit three Catskills lakes when it hosts its Warriors in Motion® (WIM) kayaking event June 9-11.

Former U.S. Army medic Abril Delgado will be one of 13 veterans scheduled to attend the program, and she is looking forward to honing a new skill that will allow her to spend more time in nature.

“I’ve kayaked once before with the ASF years ago, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Delgado said. “I love nature and I love being around the water. I find it very therapeutic. I think if I develop some skills with the ASF’s help, kayaking can become another avenue for me to connect with nature.”

The ASF will welcome the 13 veterans to Windham on Tuesday afternoon as they arrive at the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center. Participants will meet with staff and volunteers before a welcome lunch. After lunch, ASF staff will discuss the week ahead and review important water safety and kayaking tips before shuttling participants to CD Lane Park, where the veterans will take to the water for the first time.

The park’s 26-acre lake sits beside eagle nesting grounds, where kayakers often spot hawks soaring overhead amid views of the northern Catskills. CD Lane Park also offers plenty of shoreline for participants who prefer to stay on land and play cornhole near the water.

After the afternoon on the lake, the veterans will check into their hotel rooms and rest before returning to the ASF lodge for a catered dinner.

On Wednesday, ASF staff will pick up participants at 9 a.m. for a full day at North-South Lake in nearby Haines Falls. A popular summer camping destination, North-South Lake consists of two large lakes connected by a narrow channel, giving the veterans ample opportunity to explore throughout the day, with a lunch break in the middle.

Once again, participants will have a chance to unwind at their hotels before returning to the ASF lodge for dinner.

Thursday morning’s final paddling session will take place at Colgate Lake in Jewett. The area features hiking trails around the lake, providing participants with a morning of paddling and hiking before returning to the ASF lodge for lunch and departures.

Delgado has a unique perspective on the ASF because she is both a veteran participating in the WIM program and the mother of an adaptive skier who participates with the ASF. She views the kayaking program as an opportunity to improve her well-being and share her newfound knowledge with her son.

“I think it’s important to pour into your own cup as much as others. I think it makes me a better mother to work on my own healing, and the ASF provides programs for me to do that,” Delgado said. “These programs and being out in nature make me feel happy. If I can develop my own kayaking skills, I can bring my son, Antonio, to our local lake and go kayaking with him so he can experience the happiness and therapeutic qualities of being out in nature, just as I do.”

Thanks to grants and private donations, ASF is able to provide equipment, water bottles, meals, hotel accommodations, snacks, water, sports drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos, if necessary, and both digital and printed maps.

About the Warriors in Motion Program

The Warriors in Motion program provides injured U.S. servicemembers with a foundation in wellness and lifelong healthy living. All programs are goal-oriented and empower participants to take charge of their fitness and well-being. For more information, visit www.adaptivesportsfoundation.org/military-programs.