WASHINGTON, DC -- The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) will host the inaugural Warrior Games May 10-14 in Colorado Springs, CO, Department of Defense (DOD) officials said Thursday.
About 200 wounded active duty members and military veterans are expected to compete and will be recruited from each of the military services, including the Coast Guard.
Participants will train with Olympic and Paralympic coaches at the Olympic training facilities in Colorado for about a month before the actual competitions, Army Brig. Gen. Gary Cheek, the commander of the U.S. Army Warrior Transition Command, said at a press conference.
“While we’ve made enormous progress in all the military services in our warrior care ... it’s not enough,” Cheek said. “And what we have to do with our service members is inspire them to reach for and achieve a rich and productive future, to defeat their illness or injury to maximize their abilities and know that they can have a rich and fulfilling life beyond what has happened to them in service to their nation.”
The competition is open to military members and veterans who have bodily injuries as well as mental wounds, such as post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.
Events will include swimming, cycling, track, archery, discus, shot put, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.