Army Veteran finds new purpose through VA Adaptive Sports

From deployment to the Paralympics

When Army Veteran Katie Verderber releases a curling stone across the ice, the moment lasts seconds, but those seconds represent years of recovery, resilience and a new mission after a life-changing injury.

“It’s 14 seconds of peace and chaos all at once,” she said.

Verderber, a former Army Judge Advocate General officer who deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan, with the 1st Cavalry Division in 2019, suffered a severe back injury during an advising mission overseas. She underwent multiple surgeries, but over time her condition worsened. Eventually, she began using a wheelchair.

Her recovery at VA Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) helped open a door she never expected, a path that led from rehabilitation to adaptive sports and ultimately to representing Team USA in wheelchair curling at the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

That journey began at the 2024 National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, where she was first introduced to curling.

A turning point in recovery

At VAPSHCS, Verderber worked with spinal cord injury and adaptive sports specialists who encouraged her to stay active and push beyond what she thought was possible.

“Katie was someone who was open to trying anything during rehabilitation and always gave it her all,” said Recreation Therapist Mia Mortensen. “She is a very resilient woman. Whatever she chooses to do, she will!”

VAPSHCS’s spinal cord injury program helps Veterans regain independence through rehabilitation, adaptive sports and recreation therapy. Physicians, nurses, and physical, occupational and recreation therapists work with to Veterans rebuild strength, mobility and confidence during recovery.

“They changed my entire outlook on life,” she said. “They taught me more than how to just compete in sports.”

One of those moments came when her recreation therapist encouraged her to attend the 2024 National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, an adaptive sports event co-hosted by VA and Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

Verderber traveled to Colorado expecting to focus on sit-skiing but gave curling a try. Two weeks later, she was invited to USA Curling’s athlete identification camp. “I attended the selection camp just expecting to gain experience,” she said. “I didn’t even think about making the team.”

Training for the Paralympics

Curling quickly became part of Verderber’s recovery and a new source of motivation, leading her to compete in the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.

“Curling was all part of my recovery and journey,” she said. “It gives me a reason to continue getting up and working hard every day.”

Training at an elite level hasn’t been easy. Living in Montana, she often travels to practice because there is no dedicated curling ice nearby, routinely training in cities like Denver, Minneapolis and Cape Cod.

Despite Verderber’s demanding schedule, her family’s support keeps her grounded. “My wife, my dogs, my family and friends—they’ve wrapped their arms around me and pushed me forward,” she said.

Carrying the flag again

For Verderber, competing in the Paralympics carries deep meaning, not just as an athlete, but as a Veteran. “It’s an incredible honor,” she said. “I wore a flag on my uniform in the Army, and now I get to do it again—just in a different capacity.”

The teamwork required in curling reminds her of military service. “We can’t win a medal without all of us harmonizing together as one,” she said.

A message for other Veterans

Verderber says recovery after a life-changing injury is rarely straightforward. “You’ll have good days and bad days,” she said. “I still have them more than two years later, and that’s okay.”

Anger, frustration and grief can be part of the process. But so can rediscovering purpose. “Let yourself be angry,” she said. “But let yourself be happy, too.”

Her advice to others navigating recovery is simple: “Try the hard things,” she said. “Get up and do it.” And if they’re not sure where to start, she has a suggestion ready: “Come talk to me about curling.”

For more information about winter adaptive sports, visit the 2026 National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic webpage.