Adaptive Adventures Military Operations (AAMO)

Empowering Wounded Warriors through Sport

Adaptive Adventures Military Operations (AAMO) Program provides support and mentoring to American servicemen and women who've sustained permanent physical and cognitive injuries. The program works with recently injured military personnel still in the Army Hospitals as well as Veterans post-rehabilitation. Veterans are introduced to a broad range of outdoor sports opportunities and adaptive technology and techniques through Adaptive Adventures all season clinics, camps, and adventure trips.

As we say about all of Adaptive Adventures programs Iit’s not about sports…it is about attitude, independence, promoting healthy, active lifestyles, and quality of life. In addition to the activities themselves, we also focus on providing role models and mentors made up of professional, successful individuals who have been living with a physical disability for many years and have achieved their personal best.

Adaptive Adventures All Mountain Ski Camps

Three to four times each Winter, Adaptive Adventures hosts All Mountain Ski camps at some of the best ski mountains in the world. Some of the camps are for Armed Forces personnel only, but most of the All Mountain camps integrate wounded members of the military with civilians that live with physical disabilities. The four-day camps target physically disabled skiers looking to improve their skills, challenge themselves, socialize, and become introduced to racing techniques.

Summer Camps, Clinics, and Trips

Over the years, Adaptive Adventures has provided a variety of unique sports opportunities for the Wounded Warriors in the summer months. Programs range from single day cycling and water-ski clinics, to multi-day, multi-sport adventure trips to the Mississippi River or Lake Powell, UT. Opportunities on these trips include camping, cycling, fishing, jet skiing, kayaking, rock climbing, sailing, swimming, water-skiing, and wakeboarding. In 2008, Adaptive Adventures is partnering with the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project to bring a group of 30 Wounded Warriors and guests to participate in several days of outdoor sports and be featured as special guests at the 50th Anniversary of the Chicago Air & Water Show.

Program Collaborations

In addition to our own All Mountain camp series, Adaptive Adventures provides organizational and technical support to many other adaptive sports programs providing sports and recreation opportunities to our nations Wounded Warriors. Our collaborations are spread out across the country and cover all of our major program areas including alpine skiing, cross country skiing, cycling, kayaking, water-skiing and wakeboarding. Research shows that people who participate in daily physical activity experience enhanced self-esteem and improved peer relationships, which correlate to increased achievement, overall better health and a higher quality of life.

• Balboa Naval Medical Center
• Brooke Army Medical Center
• Bethesda National Naval Medical Center
• Wounded Warrior Project
• Paralyzed Veterans of America National Veterans Wheelchair Games
• Disabled Sports USA
• Adaptive Sports Foundation
• Disabled American Veterans Winter Sports Clinic
• Hines VA Hospital 
• Milwaulkee VA Hospital
• National Ability Center
• Team River Runner 

AAMO Director - Chris Werhane