Over the last 18 years, John Thompson has traveled for at least two weeks of every month, going on dive trips in the Caribbean, snow skiing in Colorado, trout fishing in the Guadalupe River, and exploring Carlsbad Caverns. You might think he’s an adventure seeker, and you wouldn’t be wrong – he’s been an outdoor recreation guide for more than 30 years. But each of these trips has served a higher purpose.
Servicemembers Undertaking Disabled Sports, or SUDS, is a multi-sport nonprofit for disabled veterans, with Thompson at the helm. Since the organization’s inception in 2007, they’ve worked with approximately 500 post-9/11 veterans to get them outside and experiencing nature.
“Often, the wilderness is where the magic happens,” Thompson said. “I just think the wilderness is so therapeutic for not only the guys I work with, but just in general for anything.”
The program, which is 100% free to its participants, including airfare and lodging, is open to any post-9/11 veteran from Iraq or Afghanistan who has a permanent physical disability, though it doesn’t have to be from combat. SUDS works with all branches of the military and recently voted to extend its services to post-9/11 first responders, but Thompson said most applicants come from the Army and Marines.
One such participant is Peter Lara, a first sergeant who served in the Army for nearly 20 years before injuries sustained during a raid in Iraq led to more than 70 surgeries and his eventual retirement. Lara grew up surfing and diving, so he struggled with the physical limitations of his injuries. The Silver Star recipient also lost a close diving friend, which kept him away from the water for years.
When he decided to get back into it, he started looking at different organizations and found SUDS. He immediately connected with Thompson and felt like part of the family. SUDS gave him a short refresher to reintroduce him to the water and then invited him back for multiple trips. He noticed the results almost immediately.
“I was taking sleeping medication, but I still wasn’t sleeping,” Lara said. “But when I dove, I didn’t have to take anything – I’d be in bed at 9 o’clock and get a great eight hours of sleep and be up and ready to do it again the next day.”
David McRaney, a retired Army Reserve captain, met Thompson after being sent to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2010. McRaney had been planning a scuba diving trip to Australia with his wife for his mid-deployment break, but those plans got derailed when he took fire in Afghanistan and sustained a traumatic brain injury.
He took dive classes through SUDS while at Walter Reed, then attended open water dives in Puerto Rico and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Since his initial experience with SUDS, he’s also gone on dive trips to the Baltimore Aquarium; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; the Grand Cayman Islands; Panama City, Florida; and Honduras.
“For me, personally, as a TBI guy, it’s hard for me to relax,” McRaney said. “And without a doubt, and my wife will tell you, that the only time I am truly relaxed is when I’m in the water, and I owe that to SUDS. She’ll be like, ‘David, you’re too stressed. You need to call John to see if you can get a dive.’ It really is therapy.”
Thompson echoed that sentiment.
“I see it often, particularly when these guys are coming off the battlefield,” he said. “We would get them often four months off the battlefield with a traumatic injury or amputation, and they’re in a dark spot. And we take them down to Cuba or Puerto Rico, wherever, teach them a new skill.
“Early on, they think their life is over and then they go down, they learn how to dive or learn how to snow ski or whatever, and it’s certainly a game changer.”
While SUDS started as a dive-focused organization, Thompson said they’ve expanded their activities to include other outdoor sports and adventures, both to appeal to more veterans and to help increase donations.
“I love diving, but it allowed me to take people snow skiing and backpacking in Utah or Colorado or just all these other sports,” Thompson said.
Thompson himself has never served in combat, but he was a member of the Colorado Army National Guard from 1985 to 1992. He said that even though he hasn’t experienced a deployment, the vets connect with him because he still understands their mindset and the camaraderie that comes with being in the military.
“The first couple days, they’re trying to get to know each other and they’re kind of standoffish,” Thompson said, “but I promise you by day three, they’re right in there. That camaraderie’s come back and they’re joking around and teasing each other.”
While connecting with other wounded veterans has been an important aspect of the trips, Thompson also makes a personal impact on the participants as a leader and a mentor.
“He’s there to show you how you can still take care of yourself and have a good time and get through the pains and figure everything out, you know, and not just give up,” Lara said. “I don’t know how John does it … it’s a hard job, for sure, just dealing with all the personalities, and him being able to adapt to each personality and figure it out and be a leader and mentor at the same time.”
Lara has attended at least eight dive trips since he first met Thompson in 2016, which he said is easily more than 60 dives. McRaney has a similar record, with nine trips under his belt.
“I think one of the things that set SUDS apart [is that] … they really push you – you’ve got to be working towards something,” said McRaney, who has earned his wreck diver, aquarium diver, rescue diver, and deep diver certifications through the program.
“I honestly could not – I don’t know where I would be without them, to be honest,” McRaney continued. “And I mean, I got hit 14 years ago, and at some of my lowest points, I swear, I think my wife calls John sometimes and says, ‘You really need to get him in the water.’
“They helped me get through some dark times. They help you know that things are possible still.”
Visit https://sudsusa.org/ to learn more about SUDS.
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