By guest blogger David Greig of TVH Mobility
The 2018 Department of Defense Warrior Games was recently held at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The Games involved:
- 300 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans
- Nine sports (Track & Field, Archery, Shooting, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Basketball, Cycling, Swimming, Powerlifting, Indoor Rowing)
- Five US military Branches (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Special Operations)
- Three international countries (Australia, Canada, United Kingdom)
”The Warrior Games were established in 2010 as a way to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded, ill and injured service members and expose them to adaptive sports. The Games encourage them to stay physically active when they return to their local communities, and inspire and promote opportunities for growth and achievement.”
This was my third year acting as the Competition Manager for the Track & Field competition at the Warrior Games. In this role, I rely on my 19 years of experience coaching athletes with disabilities and hosting events to help coordinate as close to a Paralympic-style competition for the athletes as possible. This includes full production values, announcers, big screens and this year, even having a parachute team delivering the flag to the venue before the start of competition.
Coordinating all of the technical elements is truly a team effort and I was able to work with many of the best Paralympic Track & Field minds in the country to help pull off an amazing athlete experience. For that is what this event is about, the athletes.
It has become a critical point of focus for the service members and veterans who have encountered a life altering situation, which has redefined their existence. But the impact does not stop there. It has impacted all who surround them, their families, social networks and the chain of command within which they operate.
I have been blessed in the skill set, experiences and network that I have developed. I see delivering a seamless competition, run as professionally as possible as the least that I can do to support everyone who sees so much value in this great event. It is a distinct honor.
Photo credits: Warrior Games Facebook page