In June of 2010, a group of military Combat Wounded Veterans met in Talkeetna, Alaska at the request of Navy Captain David Olson (Ret), to form an organization to address and search for effective methods for healing our returning Wounded Veterans and to promote the work of local university scientific researchers in this effort. After 12 days of mountaineering training in the Alaska Range with seve
ral Combat Wounded Veteran amputees and others afflicted with PTSD and TBI, the group overwhelmingly agreed to lead, expand and continue the effort for the benefit of all our Combat Wounded Veterans and their families. The Challenge focuses on the rehabilitation of those experiencing physical and psychological injuries by providing extreme mountaineering and wilderness experiences, while concurrently conducting research dedicated to advancing the sciences associated with prosthetics, cardiovascular endurance, traumatic brain injuries and stress disorders. The Challenge expeditions are physically and psychologically demanding and take place in alpine and wilderness environments as well as undersea using SCUBA. The expeditions provide sufficiently arduous, reasonably achievable, and extremely motivational isolated wilderness experiences that simultaneously provide achievement and camaraderie for the Challenge Team while providing for unique settings for the Team to conduct associated physiological and psychological research. The benefits of this research go directly to assisting with prosthetics engineering improvements and PTSD and TBI remedies. The Challenge is a long-term research and rehabilitation commitment, rich in teamwork, military brotherhood and recovery. Teams of Wounded Veterans, Servicemen and women and advanced medical researchers will conduct their expeditions in the Alaska Range, to the world’s Seven Summits, remote rivers and jungles, Polar regions and undersea to expand their prospects for seamless and full societal reintegration into family and civilian life, or possibly return to full military service as a “full up round”, with fulfilling vocational and recreational options.
