Union Township Local 69 Member Michael Boll introduces Operation
Rebound at the State PBA Meeting in Atlantic City.
Operation Rebound
On right, Operation Rebound athlete Brandon Holiday poses alongside his
service K-9, Dyson.
NJ State PBA helps wounded first responder athletes get back in the game
Laying in his hospital bed in 2006, Brandon Holiday contemplated
the prospects of life following the amputation of his leg.
While serving in his fifth year as a law enforcement officer in Maryland in 1998, Maplewood-native Holiday was injured making an
arrest of two people who had committed a rape. The injury exacerbated a Lupus-related autoimmune disease that caused severe blood
clots and 10 heart attacks, landing Holiday in and out of the hospital,
sometimes for months on end. Nearly eight years after the on-duty
incident, Holiday was left with one leg and even fewer positive
thoughts.
“I felt frustration and depression,” he admitted. “From that point I
wondered what could I do? What job can I have? At the time, there
were not a lot of resources out there for someone to turn to or to talk
to. It took that time for me to figure out what I could go back to.”
The ever-athletic Holiday put his focus into healing with the drive
to compete. Today, with a shelf full of medals denoting his progress,
he is on the verge of representing the 2016 U.S. Paralympic Team in
sprint kayaking.
Behind him every step of the way is the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s (CAF) “Operation Rebound” program, the premier sports and
fitness program for American military personnel, veterans and first
responders with physical challenges. The program provides unparalleled opportunities to pursue active, athletic lifestyles by offering
access to funding for equipment, training and competition expenses.
Holiday, who never goes anywhere without his physically and emotionally supportive service K-9, Dyson, addressed members at the
June NJ State PBA Meeting in Atlantic City to introduce Operation
Rebound alongside Union Township Local 69 former State Delegate
Michael Boll.
“Operation Rebound is a nonprofit organization that is fully committed to supporting our physically and mentally disabled veterans
and first responders,” asserted Boll, also a member of the New Jersey
CAF Operation Rebound Racing Team that includes about 20 disabled
cops, firefighters and combat veterans, and is supported by a team of
first responders and other combat veterans. “Our team is comprised
of members that suffer from PTSD, debilitating amputations and
paralysis. However, it should be noted that a majority of these members are competitive, elite-level athletes competing to qualify for
national and world competitions in their sports. Our team was
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NEW JERSEY COPS
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JULY 2015
For more information about Operation Rebound NJ, contact
Sergeant Mike Boll at 973-332-1556 or [email protected].
To make a donation, go to
www.operationrebound.kintera.org/teamornj
created to help our members to get back into physical and mental
shape and to watch them achieve amazing goals.”
But to help their members, Operation Rebound needs some help
of its own.
“To make this New Jersey team a success, Operation Rebound
members need to be able to train and have the proper equipment
required to compete in these vigorous events,” Boll emphasized. “Our
team’s goal is to provide all of New Jersey’s disabled first responders
and veterans full support in training and participation in our events.
Our team will continue to grow, and with financial support we will be
able to help motivate new athletes to join us and compete along our
inspirational team members.”
The cost of equipment and training, of course, is astronomical. In
that vein, Operation Rebound hopes to be fully backed by all law
enforcement and fire organizations in New Jersey.
“We have support from the Union County Conference, the NJ State
FMBA, the NJ Devils, and we’re in contact with other professional
sports teams and athletes,” Boll announced. “If we get $100 per Local
every year, we’re looking at $40,000 a year. And that can go a long way
to help us.”
Boll added that in addition to the fundraising, there are other ways
Locals can get involved:
“It’s about getting participation from the Locals,” he said. “They say
‘hey I have a guy with PTSD, can you help him get back on his feet?’
People lose their leg and mentally they’re not doing well. Guys like
Brandon are here to help other disabled athletes in a way that only
they can.” d