CAYCE, S.C. — On Saturday, Adaptive Water Ski Warriors met to give veterans and others with disabilities the ride of a lifetime.
The Veteran's Administration provided a grant to the organization to provide water sports like water-skiing to disabled veterans for one day.
Bud Davis founded Adaptive Water Skiing because of this grant. He said he should've done it sooner.
“They asked me if I could do it for one day and I said, by all means. I felt guilty that I hadn’t started sooner. So I started a group called Adaptive Water Ski Warriors," Davis said.
Bud said this was an effort to get more veterans out on the water. Adaptive Water Skiing Warriors teaches people how to glide gracefully on the water while also uplifting them.
“The cheering it’s the excitement. Of someone skiing that’s never skied before," Bud said.
Frank Troglauer is not a veteran but he lost his leg in a farm accident when he was young. He volunteered to participate in the group.
“Who would’ve thought, at 62, I would’ve skied - water-skied - for the first time? Isn’t that amazing?” Troglauer said.
On the sidelines, while Frank zoomed across the water, his friend David Henry stood cheering.
"He hasn't missed a beat," Henry said of Frank losing his leg.
Frank said Saturday won't be his last time on the water.
“I’m gonna do it again. I look forward to the next time... Praise the Lord," he said.
Bud Davis said he plans to continue the program by expanding to other water clubs in South Carolina to provide more access to people with disabilities.