Photo By Benny Ontiveros | U.S. Army veteran Master Sgt. Shawn “Bubba” Vosburg of Las Cruces, New Mexico,...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas – By competing in eight events, U.S. Army veteran Master Sgt. Shawn “Bubba” Vosburg, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, is using adaptive sports to help him overcome his back injury. Although he is suffering from degenerative discs in his spine, Vosburg found a way to channel his and block his pain by sitting down and playing wheelchair basketball.
Vosburg is competing in wheelchair basketball at the 2016 U.S. Army Trials, March 6-10, at Fort Bliss, Texas.
“This adaptive sport is an outlet and a stress reliever for me. It takes my mind off of my injury,” he said. Vosburg is in constant back pain but by listening to other wounded, ill, or injured service members and veterans, he participated in wheelchair basketball this year to compete not only for himself but to be a member of the Army team.
“I am able to strengthen my back, lose weight, and reach my goal of being selected to compete in this event,” he said. Through adaptive sports, wounded service members and veterans are given the opportunity to recover from their illness, wounds, and injuries by participating in the 2016 U.S. Army Trials hosted by the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command at Fort Bliss, Texas.
“The Army Trials inspires me because of the other athletes that are injured like me,” he said. Vosburg’s role model is fellow athlete and double amputee U.S. Army veteran Sgt. Stefan Leroy, from Jupiter, Florida. Leroy took home a silver medal in cycling on March 6. “That is my inspiration. It gives me motivation,” he said.
Vosburg is no stranger to taking home medals himself. He is also a recipient of silver and gold medals in previous shooting and archery events held at the Southwest Regional Valor Games held in 2015.
The adaptive sporting events that are contributing to the recovery process include track and field, swimming, wheelchair basketball, and cycling to name a few.
Vosburg is enrolled at the University of Texas at El Paso and is working towards his Master’s degree in social work to help veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
After the Army Trials, hopes to be selected for the U.S. Army team at the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games scheduled to take place at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York, June 14-22.
| Date Taken: | 03.09.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 03.09.2016 18:07 |
| Story ID: | 191803 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TEXAS, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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