Photo By Cpl. Ryan Parr | Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, Honorable Alex Wagner, left, congratulates U.S....... read more read more
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FALLS CHURCH, Va.- When retired Army Spc. JP Lane heard his name called as the Heart of the Team Award winner for Team Army during the 2024 Department of Defense Warrior Games; he could hardly believe his ears. “I almost cried. I was like, wait, what? When they started the introduction video on the screen and the loudspeakers, I thought, whoa—there are not many combat engineers in this room! It immediately caught me off guard,” said Lane, whose teammates voted that he should receive this year’s award.
This was Lane’s first time at the Warrior Games as an athlete, a much different role than his first time at the games in 2022.”It was fantastic to brag on my brothers and sisters-in-arms when I did the ESPN commentating at the games a few years ago. But that fired the spirit in me to get back into sports and do the things I genuinely enjoy.”
Lane, who survived a 200lb bomb blast 13 years ago in Afghanistan, losing both legs and sustaining multiple injuries, said his presence at the games today is part of a mission. “Adaptive sports has given me back that inspiration to do something that I never thought I would get to do again. Alongside doing this, I get to continue the mission that God has us on in the first place, which is inspiring people and lifting people up and giving them hope,” said Lane, who, with his wife Crystal, is always on the road sharing their story and encouraging others never to give up.
The encouragement from Lane, who medaled, winning three gold, five silver, and one bronze at this year's games, was evident throughout the competition. Retired Army Sgt Shawn Lee, The Captain of Team Army, said Lane epitomizes how to rejuvenate the team spirit meter in various creative ways. “The ability to know what to say and how to say it is a sincere gift JP possesses and an infectious ability to help with the entire team's belief in their own abilities.”
Crystal Lane is a daily witness to JP’s resiliency and the gift of inspiring others. “I am super proud of him always. He adapts so well to sports and life. He made himself available to the team for inspiration, prayer, and uplifting moments, and the team loved some JP throughout the games.”
Lane’s heart of gold shines through with everyone he meets. His message is consistent and always with a call to action.“ Don’t individualize yourself and put yourself in a corner if you have a life-changing situation. Do the exact opposite. Get out there and tell your story to other people struggling, and you try to help them.”
| Date Taken: | 07.16.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.23.2024 10:15 |
| Story ID: | 476293 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 13 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Heart of Gold, by MaryTherese Griffin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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