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The DoD Warrior Games, Chicago, IL, 30 June – 8 July 2017
From DoD Warrior Games web site     http://www.dodwarriorgames.com/

The 2017 Department of Defense (DoD) Warrior Games will be held June 30 – July 8 in Chicago, Ill. Approximately 265 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard and U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM), as well as the United Kingdom Armed Forces and the Australian Defence Force will participate in the competition.

The Warrior Games exist to provide an opportunity for athletes to grow physically, mentally and spiritually from the sportsmanship and camaraderie gained by representing their respective service teams in a friendly and spirited competition. It is an opportunity for athletes to showcase their enduring warrior spirit in the presence of their families and a grateful nation.

Teams include active-duty service members and veterans with upper-body, lower-body, and spinal cord injuries; traumatic brain injuries; visual impairment; serious illnesses; and post-traumatic stress. They will go head-to-head in archery, cycling, sitting volleyball, shooting, swimming, wheelchair basketball, track and field, engaging in friendly competition and experiencing the healing power of sports.

2017 marks the first year the Warrior Games will be held entirely outside a military installation or a U.S. Olympic Committee facility. Bringing the Warrior Games to Chicago increases public exposure of the event and provides new opportunities to showcase the strength, resilience, and dedication of the participants. With downtown Chicago as the backdrop, the 2017 Games promise to be memorable for the wounded warrior athletes, enjoyable for their caregivers and family members, and inspirational and educational for spectators and other supporters.

The Warrior Games were established in 2010 as a way to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded warriors and to expose them to adaptive sports. Sponsored by the U.S. Olympic Committee in Colorado Springs, Colo., the inaugural Warrior Games hosted approximately 200 wounded, ill and injured service members. During the following years, the Warrior Games expanded in size and scope.

Defenders on the USAF Team:

 

 
Jamie Biviano, Veteran/Senior Airman
MOS: Security Forces
Hometown: East Syracuse, NY
Events: Archery, Cycling, Field, Shooting, Swimming, Track
“Don’t think that this is the end. We tend to get comfortable in the roles that we made for ourselves, without thinking of the what ifs. None of what we are going through right now was ever planned, but that doesn’t mean we can’t thrive with the cards that were dealt.”

 
Matt Cable, Staff Sergeant
MOS: Security Forces
Hometown: Great Falls, MT
Events: Field, Track
“Seeing individuals who go through tragic events and find the strength to keep fighting and pushing through each and every day is what keeps me pushing and fighting each day.”

 
Vincent Cavazos, Staff Sergeant
MOS: Security Forces
Hometown: Fresno, CA
Events: Archery, Field, Swimming, Track
“Know that even though it may seem like no one understands you or what you are going through there are people in the program that can help you find whatever it is to help bring you happiness and peace in your heart again.”

 
Michael Christiansen, Technical Sergeant
MOS: Security Forces
Hometown: Layton, UT
Events: Archery, Shooting
“Only you hold yourself back. Find your own motivation/what drives you and press the gas pedal. When it gets tough and it hurts and you want to quit, give it 10% more.” 
 

 
Larry O’Neil, Jr., Technical Sergeant
MOS: Security Forces
Hometown: Miami, FL
Events: Field, Sitting Volleyball
"One small crack does not mean that you are broken, it means that you were put to the test and you didn't fall apart."

 
Benjamin G. Seekell, Technical Sergeant
MOS: Security Forces
Hometown: Charlestown, RI
Events: Cycling, Field, Track, Wheelchair Basketball
“There are two choices for those who face adversity: Be defined by your adversity, or be defined by how you overcome it.”

 
Brian Williams, Master Sergeant
MOS: Security Forces
Hometown: Sierra Vista, AZ
Events: Cycling, Sitting Volleyball, Wheelchair Basketball
“Remember where you come from, when you have the opportunity to help and mentor do it. As soon as you feel as though you are too good to do those things, you have forgotten, and might be in the wrong venue; don’t forget.”

  
Terrance Williams, Technical Sergeant
MOS: Security Forces Defender
Hometown: Kankakee, IL
Events: Sitting Volleyball, Track, Wheelchair Basketball
“Try everything, don't quite. You might find that the sports you thought you could no longer do are there for you and only need you to adapt a little bit.”