At Fort Meade, Md., approximately 70 ill or disabled soldiers have come together from around the nation to compete for a spot in the third annual Warrior Games.
The soldiers trained and competed at Fort Meade from March 8 through 12. They are training in sitting volleyball, track and field, and cycling. Swimming trials are taking place at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. At other locations around the country, participants are training in archery, shooting, and wheelchair basketball.
Some participants are first-time competitors. Others, like Spc. Jasmine Perry, are back for a second year.
She stated: “I’m excited. I did seated shot put last year and got the gold in that.” This year, her rehabilitation has progressed, so she is standing to compete in shooting.
Only about 50 participants will be selected from the Army to compete at the Joint Services Warrior Games competition, which will be held from April 30 to May 5 inColorado Springs.
They will compete against 150 others representing the Marine Corps, Air Force, Navy, and Coast Guard. The soldiers will find out at the end of March whether they have been chosen for the Warrior Games.
The Warrior Games are hosted by the U.S. Olympic Committee. The competition is designed to be an introduction to Paralympic sports for injured service members and Veterans.
The Marine Corps has won the Chairman’s Cup in the past two Warrior Games.
As one participant explained: “Whether you’re an amputee or have brain injury or PTSD, in [the Warrior Games], you get a chance to show your ability over your disability. It’s not about the obstacles life puts in front of you. It’s what you do with them.”
On Sept. 16, more than 100 recently injured Veterans gathered in San Diego for the National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic.
The Clinic is a special rehabilitation-related sporting event sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Veterans who have been injured in the last 6 years with orthopedic amputations, traumatic brain injuries, burn injuries, psychological trauma, certain neurological conditions, visual impairments, spinal cord injuries as well as many other injuries will participate in adaptive kayaking, sailing, track and field, cycling and surfing.
Throughout the program, which runs this year from Sept. 16-23, the participants are surrounded by fellow Veterans who have a common bond of being injured in service. It helps them return to an active lifestyle through physical and mental rehabilitation.
- Eldon Miller, a Vietnam Veteran who helped create the National Veterans TEE Tournament, tees off during the event.: Photo by U.S Department of Veterans Affairs.
Disabled Veterans from around the country will concluded the 17th Annual National Veterans TEE Tournament Thursday. The tournament, which began in 1994 as local effort by the Iowa City VA Medical Center to bring together blind Veterans, now hosts Veterans who are wheelchair-bound, amputees or living with other disabilities, for four days of therapeutic sports and camaraderie.
Eldon Miller, an Army Veteran of the Vietnam War who now lives in Iowa, was instrumental in getting the program off the ground. Legally blinded in a training accident in 1974, his love of outdoor recreation compelled him to seek out opportunities to maintain his active lifestyle. In 1987, this drove him to the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic, an event aimed at therapy and rehabilitation through skiing and other winter activities. It has since become an annual event.
He and a small group of other Iowa Veterans quickly got together to create an event of their own, hoping to create further opportunities to bring disabled Veterans together. The result was what is now known as the TEE (Training, Exposure and Experience) Tournament, which has grown in size nearly every year since its inception.
Originally no golfer himself, Miller now works on his game constantly. “Don’t ever say you can’t do something unless you try it first,” he said.
Despite the program’s humble beginnings, this year’s tournament drew 238 attendees (well up from last year’s 175), who participated in a golf tournament, as well as horseshoes, kayaking and bowling events. It is clear that such events will continue to play a vital role in the ongoing rehabilitation of the nation’s Veterans.
Learn more about other VA-sponsored national rehabilitation events here.
In order to motivate disabled Veterans and encourage participation and competition in adaptive sports, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently launched a new website for its Paralympic Program Office. The Office supports partnerships between disabled Veterans and VA clinical personnel as well as national and community-based adaptive sports programs.
According to Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, “Adaptive sports participation among disabled Veterans has many proven benefits such as increased independence, reduced dependency on pain and depression medication and stress reduction. Providing resources for disabled Veterans to participate or compete in adaptive sports supports the holistic wellness of Veterans, which is a key component of VA’s Veteran-centric care.”
Additionally, VA’s Paralympic Program Office administers the monthly allowances to disabled Veterans who are currently training in their respective sports which are authorized by The Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. Through this program, VA will pay a monthly allowance to a Veteran with a service-related or non-service-related disability if he or she meets the qualifying military standard for a particular sport.
For more information, visit the website www.va.gov/adaptivesports
