Ed Dusick met Ralph Marche about 25 years ago.

Ed, an Army veteran from Milford, Conn., accepted an invitation from Ralph, who worked with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs office in Boston, to go skiing at Mount Sunapee in New Hampshire as part of a winter sports clinic for disabled veterans.

A team of volunteers prepared for a day on the slopes, assisting the group of 11 veterans who were outfitted with special ski equipment. Then Mother Nature rolled in and blasted the Northeast with a powerful ice storm.

“We had trash bags on. We beat the living crap out of these veterans and then they came back and after the first day, they said, ‘So, when are we doing this again?’ That’s the veterans’ spirit, really. Throw it at me, as long as you come at it with a sense of humor, throw whatever crap you can at me and I’ll get through it,” Mr. Marche said.

Mr. Dusick, who is confined to a wheelchair, loved that first sports clinic and has been coming back every year since.

In fact, he and his fellow veterans were in Barrington last week for this year’s summer sports clinic, an event organized by the Providence and Boston VA offices. Two of the activities took place in town: veterans kayaked across Brickyard Pond and also cycled along the East Bay Bike Path. The other two activities — sailing and surfing — were held in Newport and Middletown.

“We always have a good time,” Mr. Dusick said. “Meeting nice vets. Surfing and, well, the program was called ‘Sail to Prevail,’ but yesterday with no wind it was called ‘Fail to Sail.’ We were towed out a half a mile, and we sat there and then they towed us in a half mile. But we were bonding. So, that’s what it’s about. A lot of the new guys, I’ve been down the road that they’re going to travel. And people helped me along that road, so if I can help other vets, it’s made my day.”

Kayaking on Brickyard

On Wednesday morning, July 21, a group of 20 veterans started their day on Legion Way. Half of the group set off on Brickyard Pond in kayaks — some specially built with outriggers and other equipment — while the other half climbed onto bicycles. There were three-wheeled hand-pedals, recumbent cycles, and a side-by-side tandems.

Mr. Dusick started his day with a ride down the bike path on a hand-pedal cycle.

“It was interesting. The first half-mile’s over grass and mud,” Mr. Dusick said, referring to the grassy path leading from the Legion Way skating rink, through the woods bordering the pond, to the bike path. “Once we got to the bike path it was amazing. The people that were with us made sure that there was always somebody at the stop signs for safety.”

In prior years, the group of veterans visited Johnson’s Pond in Coventry, but the property they used was sold. Jenny Vulpis, an adaptive sports case manager with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, said some of the veterans she works with recommended the Brickyard Pond area. She said the kayaking and cycling team leaders did a site visit and loved the convenience of having a single staging area for both activities.

“It’s all in one location,” she said. “There’s a lot of parking. It’s quiet. The pond is quiet. We don’t have to worry about motor boats and big waves. Even for the veterans it’s quiet and serene, so they can take in the whole event.”

Tina Lavallee loved kayaking on the pond. Ms. Lavallee is an Army veteran who participated in the summer sports clinic with her service dog, Leon.

“I had a fabulous time,” Ms. Lavallee said. “I loved it. This was really nice over here. It’s really great because we’re right next to biking. We don’t have to get on the bus again. That’s like, major.”

Ms. Lavallee, who lives in Foster, said Leon was quite excited about the kayaking adventure on Brickyard Pond. Maybe a little too excited.

“He’s not behaving very well,” she said. “He’s behaving OK, but not like a service dog. He wants to go visit everybody today. Now he’s got his vest on, so hopefully …

“He did OK. He was very wiggly in the boat. He was looking at all the birds… oh, it’s beautiful. He loves (veterans) Jim and Elizabeth. I couldn’t put my kayak near them because he would bail on me and jump on their boat. Somebody would end up in the water. We had to stay back.”

Friendship and healing

Ms. Lavallee, who is wheelchair-bound, said the sports clinics have become a very important part of her life. She said the friendships she has made with other veterans — she mentioned Jim Tynan, who sat nearby — are so valuable.

“It’s the camaraderie. You learn from other veterans, if you have a similar injury or something. They will give you tricks and stuff like this, how to deal with the things. They will totally relate,” she said.

“I’m going to cry. It’s very helpful.”

Mr. Tynan, a veteran of the Navy Sea Bees, smiled.

“The summer clinic is why we’re friends,” he said. Mr. Tynan and Ms. Lavallee and their spouses spend time together outside of the clinics too. Mr. Tynan leaned over and whispered that it is an added bonus that Tina’s husband is a great cook, too.

Mr. Tynan said he enjoyed kayaking on Brickyard Pond, although he was a bit nervous about climbing into a kayak so soon after having knee surgery. He had his knee-cap replaced in early May. Once he settled into the boat, he was fine, he said.

“This is beautiful. I got to see osprey and egrets,” he said. “I think it’s good. It’s a change. We used to kayak at Johnson’s Pond. They had a lot going on there (with boats).”

Disability to ability

Donna Rusillo works with the Providence VA and said the summer sports clinic has enjoyed six good years. She said there are a total of 40 disabled veterans participating this year and about 90 volunteers who help out. She said the veterans cope with a range of challenges.

“They can have anything from mild PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder) all the way up to complete paralysis,” she said.

“The guys encourage each other. They’re so good to each other. They build friendships. A lot of them don’t know each other when they come here. They build friendships. One of the nurses said to me that this week is all about turning a disability into an ability. They do. They realize they can do things that they never thought they’d be able to do again.”

Russ Cokonis is a veteran of the Navy. He wears prosthetic legs from his knees down and both his hands are missing fingers. But on Wednesday he was going for a bike ride — on two-wheels.

“I’m getting ready to go on two wheels for the first time. I’m so excited to do that,” he said. “The exercise. The activities. The camaraderie. It’s hard to explain exactly how important it is. No words really. I get the chills talking about it.”

Mr. Cokonis said this was his third year participating in the summer sports clinics.

“Oh my God, you can’t explain how wonderful it is, and how important it is. To be here amongst disabled vets and the volunteers. It’s a feeling that’s kind of indescribable, but it carries you all throughout the year. The camaraderie,” he said. “Letting loose because your disabilities don’t matter any more. When you’re here, they seem to fade away. It’s really indescribable how important this week is for us.”

Mr. Cokonis said he enjoyed spending the morning in a kayak on Brickyard Pond. He said the experience of the summer sports clinic is something that lingers long after the events conclude.

“It stays with you. When I’m having a bad day, I think of Tina. And I think of all my fellow vets,” he said. “It’s so important. I hope it never ends.”

Isolation turns to bonding

Claudia Inverso started her day with a two-mile bike ride. The Tiverton resident and Navy veteran is paralyzed from the waist down. Somedays, she said, it feels like she is the only person in Rhode Island who is paralyzed. That feeling of isolation disappears when she attends a summer sports clinic.

“I really wish there were more organizations for paraplegics in Rhode Island,” Ms. Inverso said. “Boston is awesome, and the fact that they do this in Rhode Island is great. But I wish Rhode Island had more of a paraplegic VA community.”

Any chance to spend time with her fellow veterans, especially those who deal with challenges, helps Ms. Inverso remember that she is not alone.

David Christie was not sure what to expect when he attended this year’s summer sports clinic. Mr. Christie, an Army veteran, grew up in Warwick and was twice deployed to the Middle East during his service.

“I had so many problems come together mentally. My PTSD combined with home life and personality issues,” he said. The challenges reached a boiling point about a year ago — Mr. Christie shut down and stopped interacting with the public, stopped going out.

“My wife is the one that made this happen,” he said.

Mr. Christie said he was very nervous about kayaking. He thought he might flip the boat, but they rigged his kayak with pontoons.

He was also concerned about interacting with fellow veterans.

“For me, as a first-timer, acknowledgement from other service members and validation. It’s extremely important to me,” Mr. Christie said. “When someone speaks to you for 10 minutes … It’s like I’ve known him my whole life.

“I would recommend every VA in the country to start up a Rec Therapy program, because this has probably saved my life.”