SHREWSBURY, Mass. - Living with a spinal cord injury, Lori-Lee Adams didn't think water skiing was even an option. But, the thought was put to bed Wednesday morning.

"I didn't know whether I was going to be able to stand or I need to sit," Adams said. "But, they have both options so it was wonderful. I knew that I could sign up and not have to worry about it."

Adams, an Air Force veteran, was welcomed by the Webster Water Ski Collective for their adaptive ski clinic fo veterans, both disabled and not. It's one of 14 events nationwide aimed at helping put a smile on the faces of those who served.

"Depression is a real big thing," said Ryan DesRoches, one of the collective's founders. "They feel like because of their injury or their disability, they're not able to participate or enjoy the things they used to. Part of our goal and the goal of other adaptive sports agencies is to say, 'No. You can still do the things you like doing. You might just have to do them a little bit differently.'"

DesRoches is also the director of the adaptive skiing program. He has been waterskiing more than 30 years, and started hosting adaptive lessons in the last five or so. He describes the feeling of helping people as 'addictive,' and doing it with veterans is something he's proud to do.

"Man, since that first smile, that first skier I went out with, who was a nonverbal cerebral palsy skier named Theresa," DesRoches said. "I'll never forget her. Her smile just lit up the room when she got on the water, and that hooked me."

The lessons were funded with grants from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Putting on the skis has given Adams the feeling of independence she hasn't always had since her injury.

"It's a new set of skills we can gain and we can say, 'Hey, I can do that and I can really enjoy it,'" said Adams.

Wednesday's event is the second of five the group will be hosting this summer. The next one comes later this month. It will focus on people living with spinal cord injuries.