Today we’d like to introduce you to Nico Marcolongo.
Hi Nico, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
In 2003, while serving in the Marine Corps, through my charitable efforts, a fund was established at the Challenged Athletes Foundation for injured veterans and first responders. This led to the establishment in 2005 of the CAF Operation Rebound program. When I finished my service in 2008, CAF hired me to run the program.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
As with many worthwhile endeavors, there are challenges, particularly when implementing a new program. During the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, there was a lot of focus and resources directed to supporting veterans returning from the conflicts. The attention had the collateral benefit of not only support for the recently injured, but for veterans of past eras as well. While commitment remains strong for veteran support initiatives, resources both financial and programatic, have declined. The challenge now is to work within these realities and adapt accordingly in a collective effort to maintain impactful support for our veterans.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
An area in which CAF Operation Rebound has expanded its impact is through its work with Department of Veterans Affairs hospitals. CAF takes the lead in supporting and providing local and on-going sports clinics, enabling VA practitioners to focus their efforts on addressing a veteran’s presenting emotional, psychological, social, cognitive, and physical symptoms. Sports and recreation are used as a force multiplier for these clinical interventions.
The San Diego VA SDVA uses heart rate variability (HRV) training to monitor veteran progress. The focus is on autonomic nervous system (ANS) rehabilitation. As ANS improves, the veteran’s resilience and ability to face stressors improves. The use of HRV assessment and training provides opportunities to gain insight into how the ANS may be contributing to presenting symptoms. HRV measurement assesses the body’s stress response by measuring variability between heartbeats. HRV training is intended to improve HRV and optimize ANS functioning via education and structured breathwork training using biometric devices that guide the veteran into optimal breath patterns to stabilize the ANS, providing in-the-moment feedback to further support mind-body connection. This experience offers the user the hope of lasting health benefits by strengthening and building internal resources that are recognized as readily accessible during life challenges. Approximately 31% of Veterans Health Administration service users have a confirmed mental health diagnosis and 83.9% of them use outpatient mental health services” (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2024). To meet the growing veteran mental health care needs, VA San Diego Recreation Therapy has established an experiential therapy clinical treatment program that integrates psychotherapeutic principles with recreational and physiological components. The integration of physiological measures and training is providing objective data to both veteran and clinician to integrate with the subjective experience. This biopsychosocial approach is designed to optimize clinical outcomes.
CAF Operation Rebound holds a weekly surf clinic in support of the San Diego VA ANS rehabilitation program. We also support the VA’s ski and snowboard and fitness programs. Through the VA clinics, CAF Operation Rebound supports groups of veterans in a single session, which helps to expand our support in an efficient manner. As the nexus of physical and mental health is undeniable, experiential therapy proves to be a self-empowering and economical way to comprehensively address veteran health needs. We have seen positive health impacts for our veterans through the experiential therapy model and are socializing the concept with other VAs throughout the country.
CAF Operation Rebound’s goals are to facilitate access to sports and recreation opportunities, promote independence among those whom we serve and be a catalyst for positive health outcomes among injured veterans and first responders. CAF Operation Rebound is the only program that provides direct support to injured veterans and first responders across a breadth of adaptive sports and recreational activities that allows them to participate, train and compete at the time and place of their own choosing. This unique support model is effective in improving both physical and psychological wellbeing as it allows veterans and first responders to determine their own course towards healing and, in so doing, promotes independence in other aspects of their lives. Ultimately, our aim is to empower injured veterans and first responders to get from the “Frontline to the Finish Line.”
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
Like Most: Our proximity to the beaches and and our ability to enjoy outdoor activities throughout the year. Like least: Traffic. Ideally we can mitigate this with more remote work and more responsive and efficient public transport.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.operationrebound.org
- Instagram: cafoundation
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CAForg/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cafoundation/
- Twitter: https://x.com/cafoundation
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChallengedAthletesFoundation
