VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - Sunday marked the final day of the USO Experience, a week of events in Virginia Beach tailored to active-duty military and veteran families.
The week featured everything from skydiving at the Oceanfront to water skiing on Witchduck Lake.
For the latter, the USO partnered with Virginia Beach Adaptive Watersports (VBAW), a nonprofit with a mission to help people with disabilities water ski, tube, and more on the water.
Because so many veterans have physical disabilities or suffer from challenges like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), the organization's leaders say their mission and that of the USO go hand-in-hand.
“It’s really a life-changer because it allows you to say to yourself, ‘I’m back doing what I always did. That means you can translate that internally too, ‘Oh, I can get back to work. I can get back to my family and pursue anything,'" said Bill Fertig, a longtime board member for VBAW and wheelchair user himself.
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Sunday on Witchduck Lake, VBAW pulled dozens from the military community across the water.
“We’re pretty excited," said Cristina Garcia, a U.S. Navy veteran who came with her husband and friends. "We’ve never actually done water skiing or tubing and so we’re a little nervous, but it seems pretty fun to be out here and just hanging out on this beautiful day.”
But it wasn't only U.S. military families who were treated to a special day. Members of Denmark's military living in and visiting Hampton Roads also got the opportunity.
The chance to let go and let live on the lake — an opportunity for healing that everyone can appreciate.
Fertig says anyone interested in connecting with Virginia Beach Adaptive Watersports can reach out at any time. Click HERE for more information.
