FORT EUSTIS, Va. – The Department of Defense 2021 Warrior Games will take place Sept. 12 to 22 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.
The opening ceremony for the games will take place Sept. 12, and the closing ceremony is scheduled for Sept. 22. During the games hundreds of elite athletes, including athletes from international allied nations, will compete in the following 12 adaptive sporting events:
· Sitting Volleyball
· Powerlifting
· Cycling
· Wheelchair Rugby
· Wheelchair Basketball
· Golf
· Precision Air Sports (shooting)
· Swimming
· Indoor Rowing
· Archery
· Track
· Field
"On behalf of the U.S. Army, we are truly honored to host the Department of Defense 2021 Warrior Games,” said Gen. Paul Funk II, commander of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. “This is an incredible opportunity for us to honor and celebrate the resiliency, tenacity and dedication of our world's wounded, ill and injured service members. It's also our chance to care for the families and caregivers of our remarkable heroes...the ones who represent the very best of us."
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, donated for use and serving as a Warrior Games venue for the first time, is a 220-acre facility that features multiple indoor and outdoor competition sites. The complex has previously hosted the 2016 Invictus Games and other notable sporting events.
“Supporting the Warrior Games is one of the ways we want to show our appreciation to the heroic servicemen and servicewomen who will fiercely demonstrate their grit and fighting spirit to the world,” said Faron Kelley, vice president of Disney Sports. “We look forward to working with the Department of Defense to bring this world-class event to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.”
The Warrior Games, first held in 2010, celebrates the resiliency and dedication of wounded, ill and injured active-duty and veteran U.S. military service members and enhances their recovery and rehabilitation by providing them exposure to adaptive sports. Participation in the Warrior Games represents the culmination of a service member’s involvement in an adaptive sports program and demonstrates the incredible potential of wounded warriors through competitive sports.
The 2021 Warrior Games will once again be open to the public, welcoming the community and the world to be a part of the excitement and to support these heroes.
More information about the 2021 DoD Warrior Games, including any applicable safety and health measures related to COVID-19, will be available closer to the event. Learn more about the Warrior Games at DODWarriorGames.com.
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