Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Christophe Paul | U.S. Army Capt. Kelly Elmlinger, San Antonio, gets ready for her upcoming 200-meter...... read more read more
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By Elaine Sanchez
BAMC Public Affairs
JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO- FORT SAM HOUSTON - Warrior athletes from Brooke Army Medical Center’s Warrior Transition Battalion scored multiple medals at the Department of Defense Warrior Games on Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, June 19-28. Their excellence in everything from running to racing to sitting volleyball helped tip the Army over the top to earn the Chairman’s Cup with 162 medals and 141 total medal points. The second highest medal earner was the Marine Corps with 105 medals and 96 points.
Army Capt. Kelly Elmlinger, a cancer survivor assigned to BAMC WTB, earned five gold, one silver and two bronze medals for her prowess in wheelchair racing and swimming. While she aimed for excellence, Elmlinger said the Games represent far more to her than a race to the finish line.
“These competitions are more about the celebrations of everyone at their own point in life and celebrating the goals and the gains that you’ve made to get to that point,” the Army nurse said in an interview with Defense Media Activity.
“Without a doubt, I would not have gotten to this point had it not been for my family, my friends, my colleagues and peers,” she told DMA. “From my mom and dad raising all of us and the foundation they gave us, to all the ups and downs throughout my career and in the past couple of years, and to all of those people who encouraged me in those moments that I’ve learned from and became stronger from and then now, I just want to say thank you.”
The following is the medal tally for present and former BAMC WTB Soldiers:
- Elmlinger: Gold for the 100m dash, 200 m dash, 400 m dash, 800 m dash and 1,500 m run; silver for the 50 m freestyle swim; and bronze for the 50 m backstroke swim and 100 m freestyle swim.
- Master Sgt. Rhoden Galloway (veteran): Silver for the 50 m freestyle swim, 100 m freestyle swim and 50 m backstroke swim; and bronze for the rifle standing shooting.
- Sgt. 1st Class Samantha Goldenstein: Gold for the 20 km upright cycle, 800 m run, 1,500 m run and 400 m dash; and silver for the 200 m dash.
- National Guard Staff Sgt. Robert Green: Gold for the discus seated, shot put and as a seated volleyball team member (Army team won gold).
- Sgt. 1st Class Katie Kuiper (veteran): Gold for the 200 m dash, 400 m dash, 800 m run and 1,500 m run.
- First Lt. Christopher Parks: Bronze for the shot put seated.
- Spc. Haywood Range (veteran): Silver for the shot put standing and 800 m run and bronze for the discus standing.
- Staff Sgt. Michael Smith: Bronze for the 100 m dash, 200 m dash, 400 m dash and 800 m run.
Stuart Campbell, program director for the Center for the Intrepid, where several of the athletes underwent rehabilitation, added praise for former CFI patient Capt. Christie Wise, an Air Force pilot who earned gold for the 50 m breast stroke and 50 m back stroke; silver for the 50 m freestyle, 100 m freestyle, 50 m freestyle relay, 10k hand cycle, sitting shot put and sitting discus; and bronze for the 100 m wheelchair sprint, 200 m wheelchair sprint and 400 m wheelchair sprint. Her athletic prowess runs in the family; her brother took home Olympic gold for Men’s Halfpipe at Sochi Russia.
"These athletes should be recognized for their ability to persevere and overcome the challenges of their injuries. At the same time, we should recognize the incredible professionalism and dedication of DoD medical professionals,” Campbell said. “The partnership of individuals with great personal drive and professionals with world-class skills was on display during the [DoD] Warrior Games.”
The Warrior Games feature eight sporting events with approximately 200 athletes representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command and British Armed Forces. This is the sixth year the DoD Warrior Games have taken place and the first time they have been organized by the Department of Defense.
Adaptive sports and athletic reconditioning activities play a fundamental role in recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration of service members back to their units, or as they transition into the civilian environment, officials said.
“The courage, strength and skill of our warrior athletes and their families inspire their fellow service men and women, and Americans everywhere,” said Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Jessica Wright. “Everyone in the Department of Defense looks forward to celebrating the athletes’ accomplishments before, during and after June’s competition.”
For more on the DoD Warrior Games:
http://www.wtc.army.mil/warrior_games/warrior_games_2015.html
http://www.defense.gov/home/features/2015/0615_warriorgames/
https://www.dvidshub.net/feature/armyteam.
| Date Taken: | 06.30.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.01.2015 15:52 |
| Story ID: | 168815 |
| Location: | FORT SAM HOUSTON, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 85 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, BAMC Soldiers earn multiple medals at DoD Warrior Games, by Elaine Sanchez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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