Never give up; never surrender

By Leanne Thomas, Tripler Army Medical Center Public AffairsApril 11, 2017

Never give up; never surrender
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – U.S. Army veteran, Daniel Shegog, shares his high spirits with athletes before the cycling competition at the Warrior Care and Transition's Army Trials at Fort Bliss Texas, April 2, 2017. About 80 wounded, ill and injured active-duty Soldiers and vet... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Never give up; never surrender
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

FORT BLISS, Texas -- 'Never give up; never surrender!' A catchphrase from the movie Galaxy Quest, but U.S. Army Veteran Sgt. Daniel Shegog has always found some truth to it.

"Whatever life gives us, from a wounded warrior's aspect, you don't give up on life. Ultimately, whatever your illness or injury is, we don't surrender to it. We do not allow that to be the driving force of our lives. We understand it, we take it into account, but we do not surrender. Because when you surrender to it, you've given up," says Shegog.

Shegog, along with 80 other wounded, ill and injured Soldiers and veterans, are top athletes from the Army regional adaptive sports competitions which qualified them to be at Warrior Care and Transition's Army Trials 2017.

"We are not your average athletes. We are wounded warrior athletes, and the Army Trials is always a time for us to come together and share our experiences that brought us here".

"I survived several deployments and I was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. And in 2011, after about a year of going through some pretty excruciating painful moments to be honest, I was diagnosed with muscular sclerosis. It was like the bottom pulled out from under me," said Shegog.

It was clear that Shegog had spent some time looking fear in the face because he could easily speak his truth. He said, "I've been there mentally and physically with dealing with all of those pains with different things that go through your mind when you've been put on a whole different path."

Stationed in South Korea at the time, with over 13 years in the military, Shegog medically retired in 2013. He said, "By God's graces, I was able to return to Fort Campbell, Ky." It was there where Shegog began making the transition from Soldier to civilian.

"It's like you're in a fog once you get out. What do I do now? What's my purpose? The one thing you've been good at for years, you're now told that you're no longer useful," said Shegog.

Also going through a divorce at the time, Shegog was in a dark place and he had to find a way out, he said, "At that time, I was like, I got nothing."

By chance, Shegog was first introduced to adaptive sports when he decided to participate in a local bike ride called the Clarksville Rotary Annual Metric. There he met some people from the Fort Campbell Warrior Transition Unit who encouraged him to start cycling with them.

That's why I'm thankful for adaptive sports because it pulled me out of that place," said Shegog.

Since cycling was really helping him, from that point on, Shegog decided he would always share his story. He said, "You never know if there is someone else that really needs to hear what you have to say."

Competing in cycling, air pistol, track, field, wheelchair racing, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball, Shegog plans to go as far as he can go as an athlete.

"A lot of people that started here are Paralympians now and it all started because they found something that they were passionate about that they could divert their attention to. They do not surrender to whatever their injuries or illnesses are," he said.

Shegog' s biggest fan, Brandi Shegog says, "It's so very exciting to see my husband so involved in something he loves so much. He literally loves to cycle. With the types of physical and emotional difficulties these veterans suffer from, it's so good for them. They are able to heal though the comradery and the physical activity and I'm so proud to be Daniel's wife."

"Whether its sports, hunting, fishing, drawing, music, whatever it may be, find something that you can focus on that is not going to put your mind where you are right now, because our biggest enemy is in our minds," said Shegog.