Do you want to get back to the motivation, comradeship, and physical condition you had in the service?

Are you struggling with pain and transition into civilian society?

Then apply for the Military Veteran Alpine Challenge (MVAC) and learn how to manage pain, and improve your health, in a team environment. In August 2023, the second Military Veteran’s Alpine Challenge was held in Whistler, BC. A team of 10 Veterans participated in a high alpine hike to help learn about ways to manage chronic pain. Following a specific schedule of education before the event, the resulting high alpine hike was deemed a success by the participating Veterans. The Veterans experience taught them that they remained able to establish and achieve realistic but respectable goals despite living with chronic pain.

Just hear from some of our past participants:

• “It was great to be working in a team environment again”
• “I did not realize how I changed in the military, and not my friends and family at home”
• “I maybe knew about pain but I did not fully understand how it impacted me, now I do”
• “Understanding pain science has helped me learn how to manage my pain”
• “It has been helpful to understand how being depressed and doing nothing impacts my pain”

The positive experiences and feedback provided evidence that the Alpine Challenge and training program provided value and benefits to the participants and will therefore it will be repeated in 2024. The Military Alpine Challenge 2024 will occur in Whistler from August 23-25, 2024 with training sessions beginning in March.

What is involved?

Beginning in March and running through 2024 there will be a combination of two one-hour in person outdoor, education or work out session per month to build a team environment and provide education on topics such as pain science, training, meditation, the impact military culture has on pain, and alpine safety. Suggested exercises will be available to the clinician you visit to help you prepare for this hike in the mountains. We will work as a team to help you achieve this goal.

The culmination will consist of a guided hike through the mountain alpine followed by a group outing back in Whistler.

All travel expenses, meals, and the three-night hotel costs in Whistler are covered by the CPCoE for the August event.

Your Commitment

The Mission: You must commit to:

1. Attend 80% of the education in-person group sessions
2. Complete the assigned learnings/practices following the educational sessions
3. Complete the required exercise regime:
   a. Building up to five hours of cardiovascular exercise per week
   b. Building up to approximately two hours of body or weight training exercise per week
   c. Completing several standardized fitness tests with your clinician team at the start of the program and one month prior to departure
4. Work with your clinician team (medical and allied health clinicians) to improve your physical endurance and well-being to complete the hike. Your Military Veteran Alpine Challenge clinical leadership team will be more than happy to work alongside your local community teams
5. Exhibit intentions and actions that demonstrate respectful behaviour and a desire to develop, learn, share, and be part of a supportive team environment

15 Veterans will be selected through an application process conducted by the CPCoE starting March 2024.
For 2024, MVAC will only be open for residents of British Columbia.

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If you are interested or have more questions please send an email to vapmanag@gmail.com to receive your application package. The application package is due by end of day on February 29, 2024.