Twelve members of Team Titan - together with their entourage of instructors and supporters - waded into the waves Monday morning at La Jolla Shores to kick off the surfing competition of the National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic on Sept. 29.
Team members ranged from Joe Rukavina, the event's youngest competitor and a veteran of a tour in Iraq, to Jim Miller, a Korean War veteran and long-time San Diego resident.
The athletes received personalized coaching on how to manage the board and then headed out - to try to manage the water. It's all part of a new program sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs aimed at teaching the vets - who have injuries from amputations to post traumatic stress disorder - new athletic skills and get help with stress and coping skills.
Although the La Jolla Light does not have any obligation to monitor this board, the La Jolla Light reserves the right at all times to check this board and to remove any information or materials that are unlawful, threatening, abusive, libelous, defamatory, obscene, vulgar, pornographic, profane, indecent or otherwise objectionable to the La Jolla Light in our sole discretion and to disclose any information necessary to satisfy the law, regulation, or government request. The La Jolla Light also reserves the right to permanently block any user who violates these terms and conditions. All threats to systems or site infrastructure shall be assumed genuine in nature and will be reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Submission of any comments will be considered permission to use online or in print.
