CHICAGO - The 2017 Department of Defense Warrior Games has brought a little different flavor in its eighth year. This year's Games are being held in the city of Chicago, marking the first time the Paralympic-style competition is not on a military installation or at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. This change provided the opportunity for wounded warrior athletes and their families to share their stories with a whole new audience. Between training and competition, Team Army has been finding time to do its part.
"It's great to have the opportunity to tell my story and talk about what I've been through to get here," said Team Army athlete Sgt. Chris McGinnis who is assigned to the Walter Reed Warrior Transition Brigade. "My opening up and talking about my struggles and triumphs might help someone who was where I was get up and seek the help they need."
While the competition is fierce between the services, the athletes all echo that the comradery between them is what makes Warrior Games such a special competition. "Being out here with other wounded warriors is like a therapy for me," said Team Army Captain and retired Sgt. 1st Class David Iuli. "Once a Soldier, always a Soldier. And the media coverage and the opportunities we have to tell our stories and what adaptive sports have done for us, are a chance for others to see and realize we're still here and we're still Army."
These 2017 Warrior Games have seen Team Army athletes interviewed by local Chicago ABC and NBC affiliates and featured on ESPN and NBC's Today Show. Several local publications, universities and ESPN.com have also conducted interviews with Team Army allowing the stories to reach further into the corners of the internet so more people learn about our nation's sons' and daughters' sacrifices and triumphs.
As the 2017 DoD Warrior Games hits it stride, more media coverage is expected bringing with it more opportunities to shine a light on these amazing individuals. ESPN is covering the finals of Sitting Volleyball and Wheelchair Basketball live at 7 p.m. CST, Friday, July 7 on their flagship network. The cameras are on and the microphones are hot, so tune in and get inspired.
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