If you couldn't tell just by watching him, Ray Baldhosky is a warrior - and not just on the court. The 73-year-old is a veteran of the 82nd Airborne Division and a former paratrooper. These days, he's also a skilled adaptive tennis player.

While Baldhosky is a resident of Oxnard, he makes the drive out to Long Beach once a month to participate in a Veterans Affairs-sponsored tennis clinic.

"It took almost three hours [to get here], but we're here - so that's that's a good thing," said Baldhosky.

He braves the traffic every month because, as he would tell you, the clinic has been a life-changer for him and many other veterans. 

"I got tired of being sick and tired and staying in the house," said Baldhosky. "The adaptive sports have really saved my life."

While serving at just 18-years-old, there was a day when Baldhosky's parachute did not open up. The incident changed the course of his life forever. However, it wasn't just the physical disability that affected him. 

"Over the years, the pain got so severe and eventually crippled me," he said. "I was medically retired with PTSD."

Post-traumatic stress disorder among veterans is a common factor and on average, roughly 20 veterans per day commit suicide. Baldhosky didn't want the same thing to happen to him.

Steve Weaver, the founder and coach behind the clinic, has been able to witness Baldhosky's progress firsthand.

"He had never picked up a racket. He had never been in a sports wheelchair before," Weaver said, "but he's the kind of gentleman that had this unique fighting spirit of a veteran who's been in combat."

Adaptive activities like wheelchair tennis can be an important tool for those looking to transition back from service. Not only do they empower wounded warriors, but they also help veterans to find a new sense of purpose and community.