Warrior Games: Marine athletes compete in ‘sports movement’

Photo By Aquita Brown | U.S. Marine veteran Lance Cpl. Brandon Pelletier from Marble Falls, Texas, races down the track during the 2011 Warrior Games at the Garry Berry Track in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 17. U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coastguard, Airforce, and Special Forces will compete against one another in various events over the period of 5 days.  

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, UNITED STATES

05.18.2011

Story by Aquita Brown 

Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - An emerging movement called the Warrior Games kicked off for the second year today at Wasson High School’s Garry Berry Stadium. The first sport was track and field. The Games provide wounded, ill and injured service members from military service wounded warrior programs an opportunity to compete in a Paralympic-style sporting event.

“The Warrior Games are a part of a movement,” said Charlie Heubener U.S. Olympic Committee chief executive officer. “It is not a disability movement but a sports movement.”

This innovative movement allows the Marine athletes to focus on setting goals while increasing their skills and training approaches.

“Competing in the Games is not a recovery process for me. It is personal goal to obtain,” said Marine veteran Cpl. Peter Park three-time gold medalist for the All-Marine Warrior Games wheelchair racing team. Park took home the gold in 100m, 200m and 800m wheelchair racing.

“Things happen in life that you can not control but you have to suck it up and move on,” continued Park. “There is someone always worse off than you. You can not feel sorry for yourself. Live your life to the fullest and achieve the goals that you have set for yourself.”

Last year, the Marines earned the most medals and took home the Chairman’s Cup. This year, the track and field team had a similar goal in mind. They planned on continuing the winning streak for the Marine team.

The All-Marine track and field team put up an unbreakable fight against the Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and Special Operations Command. The team earned medals in 20 out of 21 track and field events today. Earning a total of 16 gold, 12 silver and six bronze medals.

According to the U.S. Paralympics, a few modifications to the Warrior Games track and field events include seated field events, wheelchair racing and blind runners who are allowed non- impaired runners as guides who are attached by the wrist with a tether to the runner.

This year’s field events included sitting and standing shot put, and sitting and standing discus. The track events included wheelchair racing 100m, 200m and 800m, and runners participated in the 100m, 200m, 800m and the 4X 100 relay.

“I am extremely proud of our athletes,” said Maj. Susan Stark Wounded Warrior Regiment Warrior Athlete Reconditioning program director. “For some of the athletes, this was their first time competing in track and field. However, they have trained hard for two weeks and you can see that hard work and determination in each and every one of their performances.”

The track and field events are finished at the Games but the Marine team will continue to compete in archery, shooting, swimming, wheelchair basketball, volleyball and cycling until May 21 at the Olympic Training Center Colorado Springs, Colo.

Established in 2007, the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment was created to provide and facilitate non-medical care to combat and non-combat wounded, ill, and injured Marines, and sailors attached to or in direct support of Marine units and their family members in order to assist them as they return to duty or transition to civilian life. The Regimental Headquarters element, located in Quantico, Va., commands the operations of two Wounded Warrior Battalions located at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C., and multiple detachments in locations around the globe.

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Regiment or the 2011 Warrior Games, go to: www.woundedwarriorregiment.org or call the Sgt. Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center 24/7 at [phone].

Marines and Marine veterans who are interested in participating in next year’s Warrior Games should contact the WAR program staff at [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 05.18.2011
• Date Posted: 05.18.2011 10:57
• Story ID: 70591
• Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US