Vail, Colo. ? Eighteen soldiers who lost limbs while serving in Iraq were learning to ski and snowboard Saturday in Colorado, part of an effort to speed their recovery with lessons in winter sports.

The soldiers arrived in this mountain resort town for the weekend after coming straight from Walter Reed Army Medical Hospital in Washington.

Cpl. Casey Owens, of Houston, Texas, cruises down the slope Friday during a sit-ski lesson on Vail Mountain in Vail, Colo.

Among them was Marine Cpl. Christopher Fesmire, who lost both legs in Iraq when a mine exploded under his Humvee. With a smile and a cigarette between his lips, Fesmire shifted from a wheelchair to a mono-ski during his first lesson.

“A lot of people look at me now as a cripple. I resent that,” said Fesmire, 27. “I’m limited, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do everything I want to do. A couple years from now, I’m going to be running around playing soccer, snowboarding, maybe surfing again.”

For many veterans, “the trip to Vail is their first adventure outside of the hospital,” said Cheryl Jensen, who organized the event. “This weekend is all about providing an inspirational experience that focuses on abilities versus disabilities.”