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'Wounded Warriors' hit slopes in Breckenridge

By Stan Bush, CBS4 DenverDecember 17, 2008

'Wounded Warriors' Hit The Slopes In Breckenridge
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. (CBS4) Aca,!aEURc All last week dozens of wounded Iraq war veterans hit the slopes in Breckenridge. They enjoyed a program that helps them learn how to live with their disabilities.

"Everybody needs an outlet in life. Instead of sitting back and letting life pass you by, get out there and try," wounded veteran Scott Winkler said.

Winkler is paralyzed below the waste, but has a hard time sitting still. He was injured unloading ammunition in a war zone in Iraq five years ago. He's now a Paralympics champion and has a new outlook on life.

"Mentally it's giving you a break, you are worrying about something else," Winkler said. "Emotionally you are having a good time and enjoying yourself. Spiritually you are just having a good time in nature's world."

"Wounded warriors are just a special group of people," ski instructor Matt Nestor said. "These are men and women who have made a tremendous sacrifice for us."

With every turn on the slopes the wounded vets win in the game of retraining their bodies.

The program happens every year and helps veterans from all over the country.

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