PHADORA, South Dakota — With 20 years of experience in the medical field, avid outdoorsman and visionary entrepreneur Nick Colterman is blending his health care expertise with his love of nature.
Combining his business acumen with his background in medicine, Colterman is using both his entrepreneurial and philanthropic skills to break down barriers and provide life-changing opportunities for injured veterans and troubled youth by building an innovative, ADA-compliant hunting lodge that aims to heal injured veterans and troubled youth through the therapeutic benefits of wilderness adventure.
The facility provides specialized equipment, such as track chairs, allowing people with paralysis to experience the thrill of outdoor adventure and reconnect with nature.
A Nebraska native and familiar figure in Sioux Falls business circles, Colterman is no stranger to success in business, having demonstrated his entrepreneurial prowess as founder of Fit My Feet, which he grew to nine locations in three states, and Soles RX, a national insole line.
Colterman has worked as an orthopedic and prosthetics specialist for almost 20 years, and his extensive experience in healthcare, particularly in helping people with limb disorders, is the driving force behind this new business venture.
“Working with Sanford, Avera and the VA Healthcare System over the last 20 years really made me realize the need for something like this,” Colterman said, “and my love of nature, my love of the outdoors, my love of being outside is what really created this whole thing.”
The idea for an ADA accessible lodge took shape after Colterman met Dylan Lesselyoung, founder of Wheelchair Adventures. Lesselyoung’s experience organizing hunts using a wheel chair inspired Colterman to create a space where people who are paraplegic or quadriplegic could fully enjoy outdoor activities.
“Everyone, regardless of physical ability, deserves the opportunity to experience the great outdoors,” Colterman said.
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Colterman already owns two hunting lodges in Phaedra, South Dakota, but the new lodge on the property known as Sunset Acres, called Heart of the Lion Hunting Lodge, will be a game changer. It will feature state-of-the-art amenities to accommodate guests with a variety of mobility needs. ADA-compliant bathrooms and bedrooms will have transfer systems to make it easier to move between wheelchairs, beds and showers.
Colterman said the building will be the only one in the U.S. that will be fully ADA compliant from the start and will also have nursing staff on hand.
The lodge, which recently broke ground, is designed to provide a unique outdoor experience for veterans with disabilities: An ADA-accessible pier allows guests to enjoy casual fishing, and nature trails are equipped with track chairs for exploring the surrounding landscape.
In preparation for the lodge’s fishing offerings, Colterman took a bold step last summer: With the help of his neighbors, he dug a 22-foot-deep hole, poured in 4.8 million gallons of water, and stocked more than 7,000 fish. The artificial lake provides ample fishing opportunities for on-site guests.
Colterman emphasized that this isn’t just a hunting and fishing issue.
“The idea is to get people with disabilities outside and involved in outdoor activities, because there’s something special about getting someone out in nature,” Colterman said.
The project will do more than just provide accessible accommodations. In the summer of 2023, Colterman founded Suncatcher Ministries, a nonprofit that also helps troubled youth. While the hunting lodge is the center of the ministry’s current activities, the organization’s mission doesn’t stop there. Colterman said the nonprofit is also dedicated to providing troubled youth with the support they need to overcome challenges and thrive. The nonprofit plans to host retreats at the lodge, which it plans to hold three times a year, with plans for group speakers, team-building activities and outdoor experiences like fishing.
“We want to shine a light on this issue and give kids the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors,” Colterman said, “but more importantly, we want to mentor kids and develop the younger generation.”
The project will be a steep $3 million investment. Colterman has already raised about half the money needed and is actively working to secure the remainder. To bolster fundraising efforts, a major event including a banquet and concert is planned at the Corn Palace for October 19, 2024, the opening day of pheasant hunting season.
As the project progresses, Colterman remains focused on his ultimate goal: creating a space where everyone can experience the transformative power of nature.
“Nature doesn’t discriminate,” Colterman says. “It has so much to offer in terms of healing, personal growth, and pure enjoyment, and I want to make sure everyone has access to those benefits. Adventure is for everyone.”
The lodge is expected to be ready to welcome its first guests by next spring.
Jennifer Reiter joined The Mitchell Republic in April 2024. She grew up in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and attended Lincoln High School. She continued her education at South Dakota State University, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in journalism in December 2000. During college, Reiter worked as a reporter for her campus newspaper, The Collegian, and also interned with Anderson Publications in Canistota, South Dakota, in the summer of 2000. After graduation, Reiter continued to live in the Sioux Falls area and worked as a freelance writer for the Argus Leader for several years.
/Jennifer Reiter
