Renae Byrd McMinn is a longtime community volunteer and passionate advocate for adaptive sports, with 35 years of government service across the military, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of the Army.
Board Vice President/Secretary
Sports and Rec Committee and Bingo Committee
Renae served as a medic in the Air Force from 1980 to 1991. After her military service, she earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing and a master’s degree in nurse education and leadership from the University of Colorado, while working full time and raising four children. She spent 20 years at the Grand Junction VA Medical Center as a registered nurse and case manager, specializing in orthopedics, urology, general surgery and ear, nose and throat care.
She later relocated to Fairbanks, Alaska, where she worked as a civilian for the Department of the Army at Fort Wainwright for five years, serving as an operating room nurse and pediatric clinic case manager.
In 2015, Renae was diagnosed with a rare C6 spinal cord injury with posterior spinal cord syndrome. After learning about the National Veterans Wheelchair Games from her recreation therapist, she attended that year’s Games in Portland. Inspired by the experience, she became a volunteer with the Mountain States Chapter to help ensure other veterans can access the benefits and support available to them.
Today, Renae lives in Grand Junction, where she actively volunteers with multiple organizations, including Harmony Acres, supporting veterans’ equine therapy programs; Team River Runner, where she serves as a safety boater; Special Olympics, where she teaches adaptive skiing; and Hives for Heroes, where she mentors veterans new to backyard beekeeping based on her own experience.
Renae has been featured multiple times in The Daily Sentinel of Grand Junction and was highlighted in Sports ’n Spokes magazine in 2022 following her participation in Ride the Rockies, a six-day, 500-mile cycling event in Colorado, which she completed on a recumbent bike. While she enjoys trying new things, swimming—especially breaststroke—has always been her favorite.
Renae has served on the board since 2023.