Aspen nonprofit seeks to harness skiing for veteran therapy

Through skiing and snowboarding, a local nonprofit strives to provide a new therapeutic avenue for veterans suffering from the calamities of war.

Founded in 2025, the Aspen Elevation Institute will provide 20 veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries with one-on-one ski lessons in late-March, the trial-run of what could be consistent, slope-side therapeutic programming. 

Aspen Elevation Institute Founder Matt Zeller, who served the United States in the War in Afghanistan and suffers from PTSD and a traumatic brain injury himself, said skiing turned his therapeutic journey around. 

“As silly as it may sound, when I put skis on my feet and go slide out on snow, its the most zen moment of my day,” he said, adding later, “If you find a therapy that works and if you find a solution to a common problem, you don’t keep it a secret, you share it.”

Zeller, who is also an instructor for Aspen Snowmass, will deliver a talk, “Skiing Towards Healing: An Evening with Matt Zeller,” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, at the Limelight Aspen as part of the Aspen U Speaker Series. 

In starting the nonprofit, Zeller said he hopes to conduct the requisite research to show that skiing and snowboarding serve as an important form of therapy, and eventually get the sports approved and categorized in the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs therapeutic sports program. 

Should all go to plan following the 20-veteran cohort in March, the organization strives to host five, weeklong sessions in the 2026-27 ski season, bringing 20 veterans to town each session. Every veteran will take a brain scan at the beginning and end of their visits to Aspen as part of the study to contribute data for a potential approval by Veterans Affairs. 

All expenses for the veteran’s trip — including flights, room, board, tickets, rental equipment, and instruction — are currently supported by Aspen One. If approved, Zeller said the VA would “hopefully fund it in its entirety” to keep the program free for veterans. Before that happens, which he hopes would be within the next two to three years, he asks the Aspen community for their support.

With 300 applicants for only 20 spots, Zeller said this winter’s trial session filled up practically as soon as they opened applications. He received numerous messages from those applying asking for a spot in the program and supporting the organization’s mission.

“For me, hiking and snowboarding are the places I feel the most grounded and at peace, yet so often V.A. psychiatrists’ first response is just another pill,” a U.S. Navy veteran from Pennsylvania wrote to Zeller. “They’re missing it, they’re not hearing us, this is the sort of stuff that makes us feel alive again.”

“That quote alone,” Zeller said. “That’ll keep me going for another two years.”

The need for functional therapeutic options for veterans is substantial. Of the 3.3 million veterans who served in wars since 9/11, over one-third suffer from PTSD or traumatic brain injuries, according to Zeller.  

Zeller said the program, too, will tie back to the historic roots of the 10th Mountain Division, where soldiers trained for WWII by skiing in the Rocky Mountains, before eventually helping shape the Aspen and national ski industry. 

Aspen One CEO Dave Tanner expressed his support for the program, noting veterans’ historic roots in the ski industry.

“The mountains have always shaped who we are — as a community and as an industry,” Tanner said in a prepared statement. “From the 10th Mountain Division to today, veterans have helped build the very foundation of American skiing and Aspen itself.”

He added that the Aspen Elevation Institute reflects the type of purpose-driven innovation and leadership that Aspen One believes in.

“We’re proud to have helped bring this vision to life and give it a home here in our mountain community,” he said. “Matt’s vision reimagines what recovery can look like — outdoors, on snow, and in community — and we’re committed to helping this effort thrive.”