Fort Bliss, Texas -- As the arrows flew and each round ticked down; first there were 16, then eight, then four, to end at a head-to-head, one-arrow competition for bronze.

"We tied for the bronze medal and we had one arrow to fire at the target. Somehow I pulled it off by .29 of an inch in the center of the target," said veteran, Spc. Michelle Sanchez, of San

Antonio, Texas.

"It was intense, 10 years in the making; it was one of my best accomplishments as far as adaptive sports. It was the best moment ever."

Sanchez commends the level of shooters at the Warrior Care and Transition's 2017 Army Trials. The Army Trials is an adaptive sports competition where wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and veterans compete for the opportunity to represent the Army team at the Department of Defense Warrior Games.

"When I came back from Iraq I had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and I didn't know what was going on," said Sanchez. As a truck driver, or 88M, women are still on convoys and manning the machine guns during operations.

"I started bow-fishing and went to a tournament and the gentlemen who hosted it had a target range. From there they told me, I was a natural. I dug into it. I practiced at home and went to the archery shop," said Sanchez.

"It really helped me to take out my aggression and focus for a few hours. I focused on me, my breathing, and calming down. Techniques that helped me adapt and overcome my PTSD issues that were eating me up inside."

For veterans like her, finding out about the Army Trials was through word of mouth. Since finding about the trials and adaptive sports Sanchez stated that, "I want to participate in the valor games, there is a big veteran's presence there and I had no idea that this kind of event was out there."

Sanchez did recreational cycling with the wounded warrior project but doesn't ride competitively. She does credit the exposure to veteran's organizations for bringing her attention to the Army Trials. She said that there are many programs available but you need to know where to look.

"Whether active duty military or retired, adaptive sports are something to expose yourself to and find the adaptive sports in your communities."

"This is my first year in the Army Trials. I am definitely coming back next year and bringing some other recruits too. Whether I medaled or not it didn't matter, the camaraderie and the positivity is amazing. I've never seen anything like it in my life, it's nothing short of amazing," said Sanchez.

Archery was an open event with women and men competing. "In the final, I was the only woman still standing--there was the pressure of being a female and being a veteran, but it was great, it was a defining moment for me."

Sanchez hopes to encourage more female veterans to compete. She stated that aren't many females in the competition so there is a chance for females to prove they can win and compete with men

"In events like archery, we shoot from the same line and on the same targets as men," said Sanchez.

"It's great to see women competing and winning. We have the same injuries and have been through many of the same things. There are girls here who have lost limbs and have those emotional scars that are with us forever."