SALT LAKE CITY — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Tuesday awarded more than $620,000 in grants to organizations based in Utah to fund adaptive sports, recreational activities, and equine therapy for Veterans and service members living with disabilities.
The grants are part of the VA's Adaptive Sports Grant Program which will provide a total of $15.9 million in grants to 91 national, regional, and community-based programs for the fiscal year of 2024. According to the VA the programs currently provide opportunities to more than 15,000 Veterans and members of the Armed Forces.
“These grants give Veterans life-changing opportunities to participate in adaptive sports in the communities where they live all across the country,” stated VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “We know adaptive sports and recreational activities can be transformational for Veterans living with disabilities, improving their overall physical and mental health, and also giving them important community with fellow heroes who served.”
Adaptive sports are competitive or recreational sports and activities customized to fit the needs of Veterans with disabilities, including Paralympic sports, archery, cycling, skiing, hunting, rock climbing, and sky diving. Proponents say the activities allow Veterans to rehabilitate through recreation and encourage an active and fit lifestyle.
One such example is that of Marine Corps Veteran Jataya Taylor, who competed in wheelchair fencing at the 2024 Paralympics. She says that before finding the sport she was unhappy and struggling with mental health issues. She claims an organization supported by the VA Adaptive Sports Grant Program gave her a gateway to a new community.
“Getting involved in adaptive sports was a saving grace for me," said Taylor. “Participating in these programs got me on the bike to start with, then got me climbing, and eventually it became an important part of my mental health to participate. I found my people. I found my new network of friends.”
In the last nine years of the program, the VA says it has awarded over $119 million in grants. You can find more information on the program here.
