From the Nashville VA Medical Center to the mountains of Colorado

Charles “Chuck” Baldinger was on the path to commissioned officer in the United States Army when he was diagnosed with brain cancer. At the time, he was a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Because of the diagnosis, he was unable to complete his commission, however, West Point leadership allowed him to continue with his studies and graduate with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology in 2012.

“I worked on prosthetics when I was at West Point, and it was the most fulfilling project that I have ever been involved in,” said Baldinger. “Prosthetics, enhancements and neuro-control became very interesting to me.”

Baldinger’s passion continued on after West Point, and he finished a master’s degree in exercise science and nutrition. He is currently working on a doctorate in neuroscience.

I want to find out how paralyzed people can get as much as they can back and even surpass what they had before,” he said.

His speech and the right side of his body has been affected by his illness, but he said his local Veterans Affairs hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, has given him opportunities that have allowed him to do some of the things he’s no longer able to do on his own in his day-to-day life. It was there that he decided to sign up for his first trip to the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.

“I was on the [rock] climbing team at West Point, and I would like to find out what type of adaptive equipment I can possibly use to continue climbing,” he said. “The camaraderie associated with sports gives you a support group for anything and everything that’s involved. It gives you a challenge to focus on. Something that you can pit yourself against and prove to yourself that you’re still good enough.”

Baldinger said he is looking forward to “obviously the rock climbing,” scuba diving and skiing at the clinic this year. He is also considering competing in his first triathlon in the future.

“I’m in swimming training at the Nashville VA,” he said. “I was already walking 4 to 6 miles a day, and I don’t know how the biking is going to work, but I can swim 55 laps back to back.”

 

About the event: Co-hosted by DAV and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic promotes sports therapy and rehabilitation through adaptive Alpine and Nordic skiing, rock climbing, wheelchair self-defense, sled hockey, scuba diving and other adaptive sports and activities. The five day event in Snowmass, Colorado is a world leader in adaptive winter sports instruction for ill and injured Veterans and their families. Be inspired at wintersportsclinic.org