Courtesy Photo | (Photo courtesy Bryce Ewing) Retired Army Spc. Bryce Ewing at her first powerlifting...... read more read more
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FALLS CHURCH, Va.- All Bryce Ewing ever wanted was a career in the Army, but a breast cancer diagnosis at the age of 23 derailed that dream. The medically retired Aviation Operations Specialist from Warner Robins, Georgia, is raising her two children and rebuilding her body through adaptive sports. “Adaptive sports have been important for my mental health. It helped keep me engaged in sports. I've been an athlete all my life. When they took my breast muscle because of my breast cancer, I didn’t feel as confident. I maxed out my pushups before that happened, but now I have to do it differently. Adaptive sports have encouraged me to keep going,” said Ewing.
Like the Energizer Bunny, Ewing trains to keep going, and now she will compete on Team US at the first-ever Winter Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada, February 8 – 16th. I am so excited to go to Invictus. It's such an honor to be on Team US.”
She is competing in swimming, rowing, seated volleyball, and snowboarding! ”I’ve never snowboarded before. That’s the thing about adaptive sports. You try new things. It helps with your teammates and coaches around you, and in chats, they help you along with support, too,” said Ewing.
She says that chatter in the chats is part of her training, which includes so much more than snow. “There’s no snow in Warner Robins, but on the chats with my coaches and teammates, we talk about how to train in other ways to build our cardio. We discuss camps we can attend before Invictus to work on a particular sport. Staying connected is such a wealth of knowledge and very encouraging,” said Ewing, who attended a snowboarding camp in December.
Seeing her comrades who have varying disabilities compete is also encouraging to Ewing, who is a strong advocate for adaptive sports as a recovery tool. “Adaptive sports are crucial in recovery. They allow people to discover their abilities beyond their disabilities and keep us engaged and active.”
She gets a little emotional as she reflects on how far she’s come. “My mom is so proud of me; she cried when I told her I made Team US. I could cry talking about it. I’m pretty proud of myself. Two years ago, I hadn’t thought about adaptive sports. Mentally and physically, I am in a lot better space.”
The competition is cathartic for Ewing, but the joy of joining the world together through adaptive sports is even more exciting to her. “Seriously, the coolest thing ever is the world coming together. We are all part of the military from over 20 countries. I'm excited to meet other Soldiers and be inspired even more.”
With the pride of her family behind her, Ewing shares a word of encouragement as she heads to Invictus: “For anyone who may have lost hope, come out and watch Winter Invictus in person or on TV. These games will encourage you. Never give up, use your resources, and be inspired.”
| Date Taken: | 01.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.15.2025 11:11 |
| Story ID: | 489076 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 42 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Breast Cancer Survivor proud to represent Army on Team US at Invictus Winter Games, by MaryTherese Griffin, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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