Vail Veterans Programs hosts its first women-only retreat for wounded female veterans

The Vail Veterans Program hosted 18 female veterans at its inaugural Summit of Strength: Women’s Warrior Retreat last week. Since 2004, the Vail Veterans Program has brought military wounded and their families and caregivers to the mountains for innovative programs that promote healing inside and out. The veterans get out on the slopes during the winter and participate in summer activities, all designed to build confidence and improve lives. But, even after growing the program and serving hundreds and veterans, founder Cheryl Jensen had one more program in mind – one that served only women veterans.

“When we started in 2004, we had just seven wounded male soldiers attend our first program. But in 2005, we had 14 soldiers, two of which were women, one of which was the first woman to lose a limb in Iraq,” Jensen said. “I just remember being struck by that image, and being inspired by their strength, resilience and their passion for service of country. That planted the seed that is the Summit of Strength: Women’s Warrior Retreat that we now finally have.”

Some of the women at the retreat knew each other from other connections and every one of them had been to some type of Vail Veterans Program before. But they all said this was different.

“It’s great that women veterans are being recognized in a male-dominated organization. I love male vets, obviously, and have served side by side with them, but it’s just a different type of camaraderie when it’s just women who can just be themselves without the judgment or having to put on a face or an aura about yourselves,” said Alexis Marcial, who served four years in the United States Air Force. She spent her 32nd birthday at the retreat and said at first she was a little anxious to be away from family and here all alone, but quickly bonded with the group.

“Everybody’s just so welcoming and we’ve got that military background and that provides a great common ground. And I’m kind of nervous about skiing, riding lifts because I’m afraid of heights but I’ve received a lot of encouragement from these gals and my instructor,” Marcial said. “And I just looked around and thought, ‘Oh my God, this is beautiful. I just got to do it’ And I did it. And that was a huge accomplishment.”

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In addition to getting out on the hill, the vets are doing a lot of internal work at this program.

“I think the statistic now is 18% of our armed forces are women, which is not very much. And yet we have seen over 100 come through Vail Veterans Program,” Jensen said. “What we’re trying to provide is a connection to each other, which is really what we wanted to focus on, to build that community of support to one another. So we’re doing that not only through the skiing and snowboarding, but also yoga, qigong, workshops, journaling and more.”

The practice of qigong, which is an ancient Chinese practice that can improve your mental, physical and spiritual well-being. Many of the women in the program said that qigong was their favorite part of the day.

“I didn’t even know what qigong was, but I love it.” Marcial said. “I think my mind is always running so much that I forget to slow down and focus. I’m learning more about the body, like the muscles and the tissues and it’s very nice to start with that in the morning to set the tone for your day, like just releasing everything that’s weighing on your shoulders and letting go.”

Ashley Aldeguer retired after 24 years in the United States Navy. She was trying tricks on her snowboard and getting back in touch with nature. She attended the Vail Veterans Program’s winter ski program in 2025 and the Path to Success in 2025.  

“What always fascinates me about the Vail Veterans Program is that I always leave here with something that I’m going to take with me for each way, I learn so much in these programs,” Aldeguer said. She also loved this first-ever women-specific program.

“One day on the hill one of the other participants said, ‘Hey, Ashley, your helmet strap is twisted. Let me fix it’ and it was just a simple moment that reminded me that these are the kind of women that will fix your crown instead of telling you that it’s crooked. Just having that instant bond and that we know how to inherently look out for each other because we’ve shared a similar path, it builds a great bond. We know how to fix each other’s crowns.”

The women were also given goodie bags with items from local and regional female-owned businesses that Jensen hand-picked.

“I thought of it as more of a gesture to show these female veterans that anything is possible. Here are some woman entrepreneurs and these are women who own these companies wanted to support all of you. Women helping women,” Jensen said.

The goal of all of the Vail Veterans Programs’ offerings is to provide a sense of freedom from catastrophic injuries including loss of multiple limbs, severe burns, spinal cord injuries, post-traumatic stress syndrome and traumatic brain injuries. These services are provided free of charge to wounded warriors and their families who have given so much by serving the country.

Jensen reflected many times during the inaugural Summit of Strength: Women’s Warrior Retreat’s first week and how this women’s-specific program has been 22 years in the making.

“We just took our group photo, and I’m just looking at these incredible women, and I just started to cry. I just realized that we, meaning this community, our donors, our Vail Veterans Program team, everyone that made this happen, we are having a truly incredible and positive impact on these people’s lives.”