Operation Rebound helps severely wounded veterans connect with needed equipment and the healing power of sport
by Howard Hardee
Veterans who have been blinded, paralyzed or lost limbs often cannot picture what awaits them upon returning to civilian life. The Challenged Athletes Foundation’s (CAF) Operation Rebound shows them what can be achieved with a little help from specialized equipment.
CAF Operation Rebound provides grants year-round for sports equipment, and competition and training in any sports for veterans and first responders with permanent physical disabilities.
Running prosthetics, handcycles and other adaptive equipment are often provided by Department of Veterans Affairs for service members who qualify for benefits and demonstrate a medical need. But that is only half the battle, according to Nico Marcolongo, senior manager of Operation Rebound.
“Our motto is ‘Frontline to Finish Line.’ Whether running and winning a race, building resilient relationships or getting a job, we use sports as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of veterans.”
Nico Marcolongo, Senior Manager, Operation Rebound
“When it comes to a handcycle for somebody who is paralyzed, the VA generally provides it, but what they don’t necessarily do is send them to an event,” he says. “What we can do is send them to a handcycling race.”
Operation Rebound, offered by the nonprofit group CAF, helps injured veterans and first responders find passion for sports movement—and improve their mental and physical health along the way.
“Our motto is ‘Frontline to Finish Line.’ Whether running and winning a race, building resilient relationships or getting a job, we use sports as a catalyst for positive change in the lives of veterans.”
Operation Rebound also supports VA experiential therapy clinics. The program uses a modality called heart rate variability (HRV), which tracks heart rate as veterans go about their daily lives.
“If you’re running a marathon, chances are your heart rate is going to be really high,” Marcolongo says. “But if you’re in your car, you don’t want that. You want to relax. So, using what’s called an inner balance device, veterans can track the physiological response to stimuli. Through breathing exercises, through mindfulness, they can get back into a more coherent state.”
A wealth of research shows that sport movement helps with mental process and overall well-being. Operation Rebound promotes better mental health and physical health through clinics such as rock climbing, skiing and snowboarding, weightlifting, golf, running and cycling.
The healing power of sports is multiplied by the social bonds that form from overcoming physical challenges together. Not to mention, service members may regain some of the comradeship that comes with life in the military.
Veterans who have participated in Operation Rebound tend to report feeling better not just during physical activity, but in their down time, as well.
“They’re able to take these techniques that they learned in their lessons and apply them in their everyday life, to be more coherent and comfortable, even if they’re just sitting on the couch,” Marcolongo says. “They’re getting healthier physically and becoming more mindful, and it’s leading to reduced usage of the medical system.”
For more information about Challenged Athletes Foundation and Operation Rebound at www.challengedathletes.org/operation-rebound/.
