Sandy Trombetta
2001
Recreation/Development | 2006
Hometown: Grand Junction, Colorado
School Name: Grand Junction Veteran’s Administration Medical Center
Sandy Trombetta, a recreational therapist from the Grand Junction Veteran’s Administration Medical Center (VAMC), sought to improve the quality of life for the veterans he worked with and looked to the nearby mountains for inspiration. A former director of Disabled American Veterans, who served in the 10th Mountain Division, invited Sandy to witness adaptive skiing, which was then in its infancy. Sandy’s introduction to the adaptive skiing program at nearby Powderhorn Mountain Resort opened a new path for his patients to experience the outdoors during the winter months.
Sandy was the Founder and also Director of the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic (NDVWSC) for decades. The program’s origins trace back to the late 1980s when the first clinic at Powderhorn Mountain was held. Word spread quickly about the program’s success, and by 1987, it became a national event, co-sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Disabled American Veterans. In 1990, when Powderhorn’s future was uncertain, the VA decided to move the clinic to Snowmass. This was temporary, as the clinic moved again in 1993 to Crested Butte, near Gunnison, CO.
At this point, the number of participants had more than doubled to around 200, supported by about 100 instructors. Crested Butte was Winter Sports Clinic’s home for nearly a decade until 2001, when the resort sold. With two of the three resorts VA selected facing uncertainty, the VA moved the Winter Sports Clinic back to Snowmass in 2001 and has been there ever since. “Sandy Trombetta recognized the physical and mental healing that occurs with winter recreation with the veterans he was serving,” stated Jason Strickland, communications director for the clinic.
The event has become known as “Miracles on a Mountainside,” and has provided opportunities for thousands of disabled veterans to participate in activities like adaptive skiing, snowboarding, curling, and rock climbing, challenging their perceived limitations and aiding in their physical and mental healing. Sandy’s pioneering work has had a lasting impact on how recreational therapy is used in the rehabilitation of veterans with severe injuries and mobility impairments.
