WASHINGTON -- As the Florida sun beat down on him, the medically-retired infantryman took a deep breath, focused and threw the shot put, earning a silver medal in his disability category at the Invictus Games in Orlando, Florida, May 10.
Spc. Haywood Range III threw 11.58 meters. He also earned a silver medal in the discus in his category as well, throwing 29.27 meters. He was less than a meter away from the gold in both categories. He said he enjoyed participating in the Invictus Games and looks forward to participation in the Department of Defense Warrior Games, June 15-21, at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
Approximately 250 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command, Coast Guard and the United Kingdom Armed Forces will participate in the DOD Warrior Games. That sporting event includes competition in archery, cycling, track and field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming and wheelchair basketball.
The DOD Warrior Games highlight the resiliency and warrior spirit of service members, veterans, their families and caregivers.
During last year's DOD Warrior Games, Haywood took the silver medal in discus and a silver medal in the 800-meter run -- but he was unable finish his participation in the games, missing out on some opportunities he hopes he'll be able to take advantage of this year.
"I didn't get to finish out last year's Warrior Games, so this time, hopefully, I'll get to finish it out and do all the running events and throw discus again and get in that pool again," he said.
INVICTUS
Haywood said he hopes to compete in next year's Invictus Games in Toronto, Canada. "I'll definitely be training. I want to do more events. I eventually want to run and swim too," he said. "I'm going to be training year-round."
He said it felt great to have his family see him receive his medals at Invictus. "It felt great, it really did," he said, smiling. "It was special, emotional. Having my family, my wife, kids and extended family here supporting me, it felt real good. Next year, I'm looking for gold. I see where I am now, and I want to be better.'
Haywood said he was honored to represent Team Army and the U.S.
"It's amazing," he said with a big, genuine smile. "I'm glad to be an American, especially representing the Army too, I love it."
He said he also enjoyed the camaraderie among the athletes from other nations.
"It's amazing getting to meet people from all the other countries," he said. "The medals, they're nice, but the friendship you get by meeting all the other people from all the countries, not just the U.S., just everyone else, just talking and laughing with them, it's amazing."
INJURY, ADAPTIVE SPORTS
Haywood was injured during a combat training exercise, Sept. 2, 2012, when his Humvee rolled and pinned his arm. He said he can't remember how many surgeries he had.
"I just know when I woke up, my arm wasn't there," he said.
Haywood said adaptive sports gave him a new purpose.
"After the accident, I was laying in my hospital bed, wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life," he said. "When I got to Fort Sam Houston (in Texas), they introduced me to adaptive sports, and I was like, 'Gosh, I can compete again.' I got involved with rowing, with shot put and discus, track, swimming. I just fell in love with it. It's amazing. God is so good to me. He really is. I appreciate everything he's done for me."
Haywood said he doesn't look at his fellow Soldiers as competitors.
"It's a competition, but I look at us as a family," he said. "We're here to compete against each other, but we're a family. The camaraderie is so great here. We're a brotherhood and sisterhood. It's really special to me."
Haywood, always with a smile on his face or a chuckle in his voice, said adaptive sports have made him more resilient.
"They put me in a relaxed state," he said. "This is something I really enjoy, not just competing but getting to meet other athletes and understanding their injuries and what they've overcome. We all just push each other and motivate each other. We just bond so well together. It's an amazing feeling."
FAMILY
Whitney Range, who's been married to Haywood for three years, said she's proud of her husband and how far he's come.
"He's so much more, so much bigger than the medals," she said. "It's a picture of him overcoming. I've been able to see him grow so much. I'm just so proud of him and so overwhelmed with how well he's done through this whole process."
His daughter, Tara Harris, 8, said she's proud of her dad as well. "I'm glad he's out there and having fun."
Harris said she loves that her dad smiles all the time and is impressed that he can swim with one arm. "It's cool because he's missing an arm, and I can't even swim with both my arms. It's really cool."
Whitney Range said she was pretty emotional when Haywood competed at Invictus.
"I'm so proud of him," she said. "I'm super proud to be his wife. I tell him all the time. And he really is so amazing and so inspiring. It's not about the medals. It's really more about who he is and what he's overcome. "
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