WINDHAM, NEW YORK (July 7, 2025) — The Adaptive Sports Foundation (ASF) will welcome ten injured military veterans next week for its Warriors in Motion® (WIM) triathlon event, which includes hiking, cycling, and kayaking. The event is scheduled for Tuesday, July 8, through Thursday, July 10.
John Vacca, a proud US Army veteran, is looking forward to challenging himself, despite having lost a limb.
“All three sports are great,” Vacca said. “My favorite is kayaking — I love being out on the water. I’m also into nature, and I really enjoy hiking within my abilities. The fact that I can still do these activities through adaptive-sports programs makes it so great because the opportunity is there for me to participate.”
The veterans will arrive at the ASF’s Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center by noon on Tuesday to meet fellow WIM participants, ASF staff, and volunteers. Once they arrive, they will be fitted for bicycles, enjoy lunch, and receive an overview of the three-sport week. That afternoon, the group will travel to nearby West Kill for a hike to and from Diamond Notch Falls. The trek covers 1.5 miles round trip and features scenic views of the falls in the Hunter–West Kill Wilderness. After the hike, the veterans will return to Windham to check into their hotel, relax, and regroup before dinner at the ASF lodge.
On Wednesday morning, the ASF shuttle will transport the participants to Copake Falls, where they will begin a 24-mile bike ride along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail to Millerton and back. The group will stop for lunch at a local restaurant once they reach the Hudson Valley village before returning to Copake Falls, then head back to Windham to rest before another group dinner.
Thursday will feature the final event of the triathlon: Kayaking. The WIM group will start the day early with a trip to nearby CD Lane Park in Maplecrest, where they’ll paddle on the lake — giving their lower bodies a rest and focusing on upper-body endurance. After a couple of hours on the water, the group will return to the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center for a barbecue lunch and farewells.
“I just turned 71 years old, and it’s great to be alive and living an active lifestyle at this age,” Vacca said. “My thanks to Move United and member organizations like the Adaptive Sports Foundation for allowing me to participate in sport with my fellow veterans. It’s such a spoil to be able to have an organized program that provides you a community of veterans who empower each other through participation in sports. Doing these activities on your own is cool, but it’s so much cooler doing them as a group.”
Thanks to grants and private donations, the ASF provides all necessary equipment, helmets, water bottles, meals, hotel accommodations, snacks, drinks, sunscreen, bug spray, ponchos (if needed), and both digital and printed trail maps.
About the Warriors in Motion Program
The Warriors in Motion program provides injured US servicemen and women with a foundation in wellness and lifelong healthy living. All WIM programs are goal-oriented and empower participants to take charge of their fitness and wellness.
For more information, visit adaptivesportsfoundation.org/military-program.
About the Adaptive Sports Foundation
For more than forty years, the Adaptive Sports Foundation has provided sports and recreational opportunities to thousands in the disabled community. Today, the organization offers year-round services at its slope-side lodge, the Gwen Allard Adaptive Sports Center — thanks to generous donors and a dedicated team of volunteers.
ASF is a non-profit organization that offers life-changing experiences for children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities, as well as chronic illnesses, through outdoor activity, education, support, and community.
For more information, visit adaptivesportsfoundation.org.
