Courtesy Photo | (Photo by Ret. Army Sgt. Henry Villarama) Capt. Juan Torres-Valenzuela crushes it in...... read more read more
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FALLS CHURCH, VA- To look at Retired Army Captain Juan Torres-Valenzuela, you’d think he didn’t have a care in the world. He is physically fit, has a great personality and a happy demeanor, and is a guy who has a plan. “I thought I was on top of the world… until I wasn’t. But now I’m back!” The 29-year-old shared his journey in the Army as an Infantryman, eventually commissioning and becoming an Infantry Officer, with a plan to be an ROTC instructor at Florida State University. It all went up in smoke one day at the former Fort Bragg, now Fort Liberty, where he was stationed.
“Four years ago, I was talking to my roommate and just passed out. After going to the hospital and after a series of tests, the doctors told me I had a tumor in my head. Three weeks later, I'm at Duke getting the tumor removed. A few weeks after that, the biopsy showed it was cancerous, so I had to start my treatment. I started my treatment at Ft. Liberty and did three cycles of chemotherapy and 33 rounds of radiation.
The member of the 82nd Airborne began his road to recovery at the FT Liberty Soldier Recovery Unit (SRU). “I was glad I was being taken care of. I was still in shock with what had happened to me, this huge life-altering condition that I found.”
At the time, the prognosis, he said, was dark, so he sought multiple opinions. He said they were formed from historical data of others who had his condition. Torres-Valenzuela refused to accept it. Then he moved back home.
“Once I knew I would be medically retired, I asked for a compassionate reassignment to San Antonio, where I am from, and my whole family is here.” In March 2021, he continued his recovery at the SRU in San Antonio. He says the treatment was rough and very tiring, but he knew he needed to bounce back.
One of the best things that could have happened to him was adaptive sports. “Honestly, of all the bad and all the negatives, adaptive sports were the shining light. I linked up with a couple of PTs and OTs, and they told me about the places these adaptive sports could take me to, like Warrior Games. I thought I would rather spend my time in this productive way; plus, it helped me cope with what I was going through.”
Torres-Valenzuela found many ways to cope just by saying yes to adaptive sports, and he says they all surprised him.
“It became one big family when I came to Army Trials and went on to Warrior Games.” He initially only signed up for three events: powerlifting, archery, and rowing. “I was asked if I was cleared to do the other events, and I said yes. The next thing I know is that I’m learning to throw the shotput! Coach Adriane Wilson coached me through it.”
Veteran Team Army and Team US members also play a role in his recovery, for which he is most grateful.
“The techniques from rowing I learned from veteran Team Member Ross Alewine helped me shave one minute off my rowing time. I thought, what the heck? This is awesome! Even after the games, we are still friends and talk all the time. I never knew him until two years ago.”
After all that hard work, Juan Torres-Valenzuela was one of two Ultimate Champion representatives for Team Army at the 2022 Warrior Games in Orlando. He hopes to return to Team Army but has a new chapter in his life that he is happy about now that he is retired. “I am three months away from going to training at the Fire Academy and will not graduate until this summer. I want to return to Warrior Games and Ultimately go to Invictus. I’m doing well now. I’m more of a mind-body and soul focus. I have checkups every six months instead of every three.”
He says he has no regrets and is thankful the Army has taken care of him and helped him get back on top of the world, even though it’s different from the world he envisioned five years ago. “This program, the SRUs, and adaptive sports were a great help on all sides. The motivation and emotional support the SRU gave me was terrific. If anyone needs this program in the future, I will say this: Take every opportunity and make relationships. You will have these for life, and people will continue to help you. Look at it all in a positive way. “
| Date Taken: | 01.09.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 01.09.2024 12:16 |
| Story ID: | 461518 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 691 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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