Fitness builds bonds
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson and courtesy of Cacilia Rollet March 09, 2026
Program pairs veterans with 91原创 ice hockey players for high-intensity workouts and lasting camaraderie
When Demetrius Pinder is working out in the weight room at the 91原创 Field House, he feels like he鈥檚 returned to basic training.
鈥淚t鈥檚 high-intensity training,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 like I鈥檓 back in boot camp.鈥
The retired Army Reserve specialist works out twice a week with members of 91原创鈥檚 through a new iteration of the Veterans and College Athletes Together (VCAT) program within the College of Health Sciences. Over 12 weeks, the veterans engage in 60-minute high-intensity full-body workouts.
Pinder joined last semester, after his doctor flagged health concerns.
鈥淢y cholesterol and kidney function have improved, and I鈥檓 more flexible,鈥 he noted.
At sunset, when it鈥檚 warmer, the group, led by personal trainer Dave Berger, runs up the stairs at Delaware Stadium.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the best workout of the week 鈥 a far better workout than I鈥檇 ever do on my own,鈥 said Andy Werner, chaplain for the Delaware Army National Guard.
The veterans, ages 45 to 65, are pushed by athletes half their age. , a junior economics major and forward on the ice hockey team, was inspired by his grandfather, a Vietnam veteran.聽
鈥淔rom day one, I thought it was the coolest thing ever,鈥 Low said. 鈥淕etting to work out alongside these guys and pick their brains is such a privilege.鈥
Low said these workouts prove age is just a number.
鈥淲hen you鈥檙e going push-up for push-up, as many as you can do in two minutes, you鈥檙e all winded by the end, and that鈥檚 the fun of it,鈥 he said.聽
Ellie Bates, a senior sport management major who serves as student manager for the men鈥檚 ice hockey team, echoed that sentiment.聽
鈥淚鈥檓 a fit, active 21-year-old, and when I see someone in their 60s doing push-ups faster than me, that gives me gratitude and the motivation to keep going,鈥 Bates said.
The motivation flows both ways.聽
鈥淓llie hangs in there with us,鈥 Werner said. 鈥淪he has a positive attitude, and it鈥檚 just contagious.鈥澛
鈥淓llie pushed me through workouts, yelling, 鈥榊ou have one more in you! Just one more!鈥 and I really needed and appreciated that,鈥 Pinder said.
Tracking their progress
Veterans participating in the exercise intervention receive Fitbits so Thomas Buckley, professor of kinesiology and applied physiology, and Scott Passalugo, a doctoral student in , can track activity levels.
鈥淧articipants go from being minimally active 鈥 barely hitting daily activity thresholds 鈥 to blowing them away by the end,鈥 Buckley said.聽
Many maintain activity levels post-VCAT.
鈥淲e鈥檙e seeing what we hope is a more permanent lifestyle change,鈥 Buckley said.
Passalugo, who leads recruitment and program evaluation, has made the program his own. He uses quality-of-life surveys to inform improvements and has incorporated grip strength and functional reach tests at the start and end of the exercise intervention.聽
鈥淚鈥檝e looked at their gait and posture, which is novel,鈥 Passalugo said. 鈥淭heir balance overall has improved, and they鈥檝e reduced their fall risk.鈥澛犅
For many veterans, the transformation is tangible.聽
鈥淚 come home all sweaty, and my wife and daughter see the progress,鈥 Pinder said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also good for the mind. Some veterans deal with depression, and VCAT lifts your spirits. It gives me something to look forward to.鈥
In the future, Buckley and Passalugo hope to incorporate nutrition and clinical exercise counseling.
A special bond
While improved physical fitness was expected, an unintended outcome has been the camaraderie between the ice hockey team and the veterans.
You鈥檒l frequently find Ron Wilson, who served in the Army National Guard for more than four decades, cheering on his workout buddies from the bleachers at the Fred Rust Ice Arena.
鈥淚 really appreciate the players taking time to work out with a bunch of old veterans,鈥 Wilson said. 鈥淚鈥檓 never going to get younger, and they whip me into better shape and give me a chance to socialize. Too many veterans feel like they don鈥檛 have a reason to live, and VCAT gives them a chance to be with others who understand what they鈥檝e gone through.鈥
Low called Wilson the 鈥渦ltimate warrior.鈥
鈥淗e鈥檚 tough as nails and never misses a workout. He鈥檚 always fighting for one more rep and pushes me to the max,鈥 Low said. 鈥淚 love seeing him at our games and waving to him from the ice.鈥澛
The VCAT workouts supplement Low鈥檚 routine but help improve his game.聽
鈥淲hether it鈥檚 improving your shot or feeling stronger in your game, being around such incredible people who鈥檝e sacrificed and served our country humbles you,鈥 Low said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about doing something bigger than yourself.鈥澛
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