Periodic updates from the President of Challenges Foundation.
Class Number One of the Veterans Project for Challenges Foundation, was a resounding success by any measure. I have provided a detailed report to the other instructor and the Veterans Administration.
As I have said in the CAPTAINS LOG section of the website, I was injured about two thirds of the way into the class while doing a commercial.
This injury precluded my finishing the class as instructor in charge. Bryan Troxler my co-instructor and Mel Pasley, our magnificent assistant, completed this phase of training for Class Number One.
Please read Bryan's beautifully written account of his own personal reaction to this class and participation in the class and the whole field or teaching those with physical challenges. His writing is far superior to any account I can give.
What a day the Catalina trip turned out to be!
Bryan, Mel and our wonderful friend and associate, Denise Dowd with whom I have taught for over twenty years, handled the whole day, all its planning and the in-water dives superbly. Sarkes Dirmejian, our Treasurer, came and from his wheel chair did a wonderful job of helping in every way he could with pre- and post-dive activities.
I with my leg in a cast had a great time watching the divers and helping in my modest way on shore. While some divers were in the water, I had many good talks with those on shore waiting and we kept busy doing dive tables (a way of calculating dive times in order to avoid decompression sickness) and talked of many things.
I cannot over-state my gratitude to Bryan and our team for all that was done to make this whole experience with Class One such a success.
We are of course very appreciative of the funding provided by the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to make the project financially possible.
We are also appreciative of the support given by the Veterans Administration and their head of Recreational Therapy, Ramona A. Spiller and their field representative, Louisa Mendelsohn, who was a member of the class as well!
I am most grateful.
To: All who have helped or intend to help, on the Veterans Project of Challenges Foundation
The good news: The pilot project of teaching wounded Veterans with the participation of the Veterans Administration in Los Angeles is a success by any measure! Our Veterans who have a number of challenges, both physical,and emotional have grown in this course and demonstrably are feeling more fulfilled by taking on and succeeding in tasks that even able bodied people so often do not accomplish.
The not-so-good news: I sustained a torn Achilles tendon injury during a commericial shoot. For those of you who don't know,my day job is an an actor (see Google or something).
More good news: My most incredibly good (in so many ways) colleague, Bryan Troxler and our able and invaluable assistant, newly retired Lt. Colonel Mel Pasley, a decorated Veteran himself, have both, in my recent absence, brought the class to a state where they are going to the Open Water or ocean phase of their training. We go to Catalina Island on September 18th for that first day. I shall assist from the land as I am able. We are to be joined by Denise Dowd, taking off from her own work as a Recreational Therapist in Santa Barbara. She is an extraordinary instructor with whom I have been teaching disabled divers since 1987. Bryan Troxler is teaching other disabled divers with her on a regular basis.
I look forward and am planning with our officers and board for the future of Challenges, including: Expanding our Veterans program to include an Oceanics Club which will enable our Vets to continue their activities on whatever level they are able, rather than just be dropped after the course is finished. This includes snorkeling for those who cannot for medical reasons, scuba dive, sailing on our Challenges sailboat, kayaking and crewing on our newly donated small power boat, recently restored by a buddy of mine and myself. We at Challenges foundation, will keep all of you posted on our progress and thanks again for your help without which we could not be doing this project and others which are so worthwhile to the country and ourselves.
Cordially,
Nicolas Coster
President and Founder,
Steve Cortright, Vice President, Sarkes Dirmejian, Treasurer
Challenges Foundation