Navy Region Hawaii Concludes 2015 Wounded Warrior Pacific Trials

PEARL HARBOR (March 12, 2015) Sailors and Coast Guardsmen participate in a volleyball match during the 2015 Wounded Warrior Pacific Trials at Joint Base Pearl Harbor (JBPHH). The event allows wounded, ill and injured Sailors and Coast Guardsmen from across the country to compete in cycling, seated volleyball, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair basketball at JBPHH and other locations throughout the island. The top 40 athletes will be awarded a spot on Team Navy and advance to a competition among all branches of the military. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Diana Quinlan/Released)

By By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Jeff Troutman, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West, Det. Hawaii

PEARL HARBOR (NNS) -- PEARL HARBOR - The Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW) - Safe Harbor 2015 Wounded Warrior Pacific Trials drew to a close March 13, concluding a week of successful sporting events and family-oriented symposiums.

The athletes competed in basketball, volleyball, swimming, marksmanship and cycling events as a way to establish meaningful connections with other NWWs and experience positive connectivity through their challenges.

Adm. Harry B. Harris, Jr., commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet, personally commended the approximately 60 warriors who participated in this year's trials at the closing ceremony in Waikiki. 

"On your journey to be here today, I know there were many obstacles that seemed insurmountable. All of you have not only overcome those obstacles, you've strived for new challenges," said Harris. "In pursuit of a dream, every one of you has shown incredible mental and physical toughness. These Trials have provided an opportunity for all of us to celebrate your athletic achievements, your perseverance, your drive and your desire to succeed. So I thank you, and congratulate you for your tremendous achievements."

The wounded warrior athletes competing in the trials were comprised of active-duty and retired service members with upper-body, lower-body and spinal cord injuries; serious illnesses; traumatic brain injuries; visual impairment; and post-traumatic stress. The wounded warrior athletes were competing for selection to the Team Navy roster and advancement to the annual joint-service Warrior Games, which will take place this summer. 

Retired Lt.j.g. Laura Root, a gold medalist winner in the 2013 and 2014 Warrior Games, said the trials are a great way for wounded service members to stay active and continue to support their country.

PEARL HARBOR (March 12, 2015) Retired Airman Sadie Strong reloads during a shooting event at the 2015 Wounded Warrior Pacific Trials at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Strong hopes that moving through this qualifying event will lead to a second consecutive gold medal at the Warrior Games scheduled to be held this fall. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Omari K. Way/Released)

"I know first-hand, when facing disability or when things in your life are going wrong, sports are one place where you can focus on what's right, and here you have a great group of people who understand what you have been through," said Root. "When we come together like this, it's really about the comradery we share. We heal ourselves a little bit by having a good time with each other and by doing something we enjoy." 

Perhaps most importantly, the trials are a way for wounded veterans to prove to themselves that they have the strength and the courage to move forward and continue to excel.

"There are a lot of sports in America today that have Wounded Warriors in mind," said Retired Army Staff Sergeant David Kimes, coach of the Pacific Trials rifle shooting team. "To get out there and do something, and realize that even though you have that setback in your life, you can get out there and enjoy life, and succeed, and maybe even compete and win or turn a lot of heads - it can be huge for self-esteem and self-respect. That's what we try to show with these events; that it's just a temporary setback."

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Navy Wounded Warrior - Safe Harbor Announces Team Navy Roster

By Patty Babb, Navy Wounded Warrior - Safe Harbor

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Forty seriously wounded, ill and injured Navy athletes have been chosen to represent Team Navy at the 2014 Warrior Games this fall.

The athletes were evaluated during the Wounded Warrior Team Navy Trials, which took place May 31-June 7 in Norfolk, Virginia. During the event, 65 Team Navy hopefuls faced off in the seven sports - archery, cycling, seated volleyball, shooting, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair basketball - that will be contested during the Warrior Games.

"At the trials, we saw our largest turnout for a Navy adaptive athletics event to date," said Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW) - Safe Harbor Director Capt. Brent Breining. "This made selection of the final athletes to represent Team Navy very difficult. Our staff took great care during the selection process to put together the strongest possible team, and no decision was made lightly. I offer heartfelt congratulations to the accomplished athletes who made the team, and I look forward to watching them compete.

"I encourage all of the athletes who took part in the trials - not only those who made the cut - to remain active and continue training. Sports can have a very powerful impact on their physical and mental well-being and has the potential to accelerate their recovery," he added.

NWW is the Navy and Coast Guard's wounded warrior support program. All of the athletes who participated in the trials are enrolled in the program, which has provided non-medical care throughout their recoveries.

The 2014 Team Navy roster includes a diverse collection of athletes. It brings together service members from around the country, from both the enlisted and officer communities, with incredibly varied backgrounds and skill sets. The team will practice together for the first time at a training camp July 8-13 at Naval Base Ventura County, California.

The 2014 Warrior Games - a Paralympic-like competition among wounded warriors from all branches of military service - will take place Sept. 28-Oct. 4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Once again, NWW will sponsor Team Navy.

The Warrior Games will be preceded by the inaugural INVICTUS Games, an international athletic competition for wounded warriors hosted by the U.K.'s Prince Harry. NWW will send 22 wounded warrior athletes to London Sept. 10-14 to participate in the event. The Navy's INVICTUS Games participant list is available in the NWW website.

The complete 2014 Team Navy roster is below:

Navy Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Jonathan Adviento
Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Angelo Anderson
Retired Navy Legalman 1st Class Shahnaz Askins
Retired Navy Logistics Specialist 2nd Class Patrick Blair
Retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Brian Canich
Retired Navy Boatswain's Mate 1st Class Jim Castaneda
Navy Aviation Electrician's Mate 2nd Class Daniel Crossley
Navy Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Michael Dacanay
Retired Navy Aviation Electrician's Mate Steven Davis
Navy Machinist's Mate 1st Class Michael Dayton
Navy Chief Counselor Ching Dressel
Navy Aviation Structural Mechanic 1st Class John Dusseau
Retired Navy Lieutenant John Edmonston
Retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Jacob Emmott
Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Roel Espino
Retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Isaac Francois
Retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Jaime Garza
Navy Sonar Technician Surface 2nd Class Shericka Goza
Retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Nathaniel Hamilton
Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Aircraft Handler) 3rd Class Donald Jackson
Retired Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician 1st Class John Kremer
Retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sonny Lemerande
Navy Seaman La'Mar Linton
Navy Chief Logistics Specialist Averill Malone
Retired Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate 2nd Class Stephan Miller
Navy Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class Kenyactha Myers
Navy Airman Brett Parks
Retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 3rd Class Redmond Ramos
Retired Navy Aviation Technician 3rd Class Kathleen Ray
Navy Senior Chief Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician Ryan Reese
Navy Chief Yeoman Javier Rodriguez Santiago
Retired Navy Lieutenant Junior Grade Laura Root
Retired Navy Electrician's Mate 3rd Class Henry Sawyer
Retired Navy Aviation Technician 3rd Class Angel Segarra
Navy Airman Sadie Strong
Navy Aviation Machinist's Mate 3rd Class Chris Suter
Navy Counselor 1st Class Misty Taylor
Navy Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Marijka Temple
Retired Navy Chief Gunner's Mate Hector Varela
Retired Navy Chief Yeoman Sharona Young

The above roster may change in the future due to unforeseen circumstances. Please check the NWW website (below) for any updates.

To learn more about NWW, the Warrior Games and adaptive athletics, visit http://safeharbor.navylive.dodlive.mil; call 855-NAVY WWP (628-9997) or email navywoundedwarrior@navy.mil. 

Wounded Warriors Hit the Ground Running

By Patty Babb, Navy Wounded Warrior -- Safe Harbor

NORFOLK, Va. (NNS) -- The Wounded Warrior Team Navy Trials begin June 4 in Norfolk, Va., as seriously wounded, ill and injured service members face off in archery, shooting, swimming and wheelchair basketball.

The trials - which take place at Naval Station Norfolk, Norfolk State University and Virginia Wesleyan College - run through June 7. They also will include cycling; track and field; and sitting volleyball competitions.

"I'm excited to see where I stand, and how I stack up against the others here," said Navy Aviation Boatswain's Mate 3rd Class Donald Jackson, who was diagnosed with a serious illness. "It's a fun experience, and I'm happy I'm here."

Jackson, who hails from Kent, Washington, is new to competitive adaptive sports. He is taking part in archery and cycling competitions.

Sixty-five wounded warrior athletes are battling for a place on the Team Navy roster at the fifth annual Warrior Games Sept. 28 - Oct. 4 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. More than half of the trials participants have never before competed at the Warrior Games.

"I'm so happy to be here. There are a lot of new people, so we're making new friends," said retired Navy Hospital Corpsman 2nd Class Sonny Lemerande, a Warrior Games veteran who was wounded in combat. "A lot of us [returning athletes] are moving on to other competitions and making room for new faces."

Lemerande, who is from Twentynine Palms, California, will take part in field events, shooting, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball competitions. He says he most enjoys the camaraderie of the team sports.

Throughout the coming days, medals will awarded to the top three athletes in the events or heats within each sport. The athletes selected for Team Navy will be contacted after the Wounded Warrior Team Navy Trials with an official invitation.

The trials are hosted by Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA) and Navy Wounded Warrior (NWW) - Safe Harbor, the Navy and Coast Guard's wounded warrior support program.

"Meeting these athletes for the first time, hearing their inspiring stories, and witnessing firsthand their teamwork, is something that everyone needs to experience," said Navy Capt. John Malfitano, CNRMA Fleet and Family Readiness program director.

"I never thought, after all I've been through, that I wouldn't be afraid to show my injuries," said retired Navy Seaman La'Mar Linton, who was wounded in combat. "It's made me realize that my injuries are part of who I am now."

Linton, who lives in Portsmouth, Virginia, will compete in track and field. He credits his fiancee, Tiffany, with inspiring him to participate in the trials and stay positive.

NWW coordinates the non-medical care of more than 2,500 seriously wounded, ill and injured Sailors and Coast Guardsmen and provides resources and support for their families. NWW is sponsoring Team Navy at the 2014 Warrior Games.

To learn more about NWW and adaptive athletics, call 855-NAVY WWP (628-9997) or email navywoundedwarrior@navy.mil.

To access the full schedule of events, visit http://safeharbor.navylive.dodlive.mil. The latest news also will be posted on Facebook at www.facebook.com/navysafeharbor. 

For more news from Commander, Navy Installations Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/cni/.

Wounded Warrior Sports Camp

NORFOLK (Aug. 2, 2013) Participants play lacrosse during the wounded warrior sports camp at the Waterfront Athletic Complex at Naval Station Norfolk. The camp is hosted by Navy Wounded - Safe Harbor, the Department of the Navy's wounded warrior support program. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Andrew Schneider/Released)