VA disabled sports clinics aiding Los Lunas veteran

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VA disabled sports clinics aiding Los Lunas veteran Valencia County News Bulletin

What a thrill, zipping down a hill on skis or driving a snowmobile. Skippering a sailboat or surfing in the Pacific Ocean.

Those experiences have brought new perspective and additional joy into the life of 40-year-old Bob Bilodeau, of Los Lunas, who is legally blind.

Not that life had been boring for Bilodeau and his wife, Amanda, shepherding three young children, with a fourth due in August. However, the adventure has taken plenty of twists and turns in the past two decades.

Bilodeau recalls what the doctor said.

“He very bluntly told me, ‘Your days are done as far as the army, and you’re probably going to be blind when you’re an old guy.’ That was a lot to take in.”

Only a year and a half into Bilodeau’s dream job, he was discharged, leaving him “bitter, struggling, a mess — I was running amok.”

His ego took a hit.

“I was an 18-year-old kid with a machine gun one minute,” and then, “all my career plans went up in smoke,” he said.

Bilodeau, seeking a fresh start, eventually moved with two duffle bags to Albuquerque and lived with a buddy and his wife for a time...

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