They compete despite a number of physical injuries as wounded warriors.
Joe Derbak knows how to stay calm under fire, literally.
"Grenade had landed behind a marine and knocked him out," said Joe Derbak, retired Navy Corpsman. "So I crossed the impact area to where he was at, right as I was getting to him another grenade hit a marine in the abdomen. I was less than three feet away from him."
That was in Afghanistan and it landed him in this wheelchair. But he’s not taking his injuries sitting down. He’s taking part in the wounded warrior program.
"It’s kind of like a whole new family, a whole new normal for me. These guys have been there, they’ve seen the same things that I have done," Derbak added.
Guys like Sancho Johnson who ended up in a wheelchair after surviving a bus crash. He doesn’t know the word quit. He draws his bow back with his teeth. Now that’s competing, but it’s more than just achieving a high score.
"Just enjoy the camaraderie with fellow athletes, such as myself, like typed athletes that you can relate with their stories and they can relate with your stories," said Sancho Johnson, retired Coast Guard.
And that’s the whole point of these Wounded Warrior trials.
"A lot of our wounded warriors actually transition out of the navy and they go back to hometown USA. So when we bring them back together it provides them an opportunity to meet with other wounded warriors, who have similar disabilities," said Merissa Larson.
For some the experience is therapeutic.
"So now I have my bow and I go in my backyard and I just shoot. It’s me, the bow, and the target and that’s it. It’s nice and relaxing and I don’t have to worry about anything else," Derbak shared.
A team of 35 will qualify to head to the national Wounded Warrior games, to be held next year in Colorado.
See the original article at: KHON2 Developing Stories
