Veterans / Hockey / Biking and Snow

This week the National Ability Center had a group of Veterans come out for some programs.  These Veterans are coming home after a tour of duty but they are still on active duty.  They are getting ready to go back to combat zones or preparing to return to their families and civilian life.  On Tuesday, we took them to Salt Lake City and played sled hockey.  It was a good time.  The guy in the white helmet competed in Vancouver on the USA team and won gold.  He is crazy fast on the ice.  It is pretty amazing.

Here is one of the slowest guys on the ice.  It was my second time in a sled.  The push is a lot like the racing wheelchair where you have to do quick fast strokes to get your speed up and then longer strokes to keep you going.  The trouble with sled hockey and skiing is the balance and the turns.  It is really fun and the hits and checks are pretty cool unless you are on the receiving end.  When you can dish it out, it tends to be a lot less painful.

On Wednesday we did cycling fitness with the Veterans.  It was way too cold to get my handcycle out so I rode in the truck.  We just picked up the tired people who would rather ride in the heated truck.  It was fun watching able bodied troops try out handcylces and deal with some of the altitude up here in the mountains.

I finished out Wednesday with another Jazz game.  It was cool and they won again.  On Saturday I went to a sled hockey practice that the National Ability Center helps fund.  There were four of us and the coach  worked with me and helped me get my pushes and turns down.  It was good to get some instruction.  After sled hockey I rushed over and got on the mountain for a few hours for the opening day of Park City Mountain Resort.  It was depressing how not in shape and out of practice I am but it will get better.  On Sunday I practiced with the team and there were about eight of us on the ice.  I did another few runs on the mountain this afternoon as well.  I had to check out the sled hockey thing on Sunday but hopefully the Sundays will be pretty open in the future.  Here is the Sunday morning snowfall.  As you can see I don't do the two foot snow banks real well.  It was bad.

If anyone wants to come build me a garage you can!