ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Dec. 28, 2012) — The 2013 Warrior Games are slated for May 11-17, Colorado Springs, Colo. More than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans are expected to participate in 2013 games.
The competition will feature the following teams from the United States – Army, Marine Corps, Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force, and Special Operations – along with an international team from the United Kingdom.
Athletes will compete in sitting volleyball, wheelchair basketball, swimming, cycling, track & field, archery & competitive shooting. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the athletes or team members who place 1st, 2nd and 3rd in each event. The service with the most medals receives the Chairman’s Cup.
Adaptive sports and reconditioning are linked to a variety of benefits for wounded, ill, and injured service members across all branches of the military: less stress, reduced dependency on pain and depression medication, fewer secondary medical conditions (such as diabetes, hypertension), higher achievement in education and employment, increased independence, increased self-confidence, and increased mobility.
The 2013 Warrior Games opening ceremony is May 11, at the Olympic Training Center. The ceremony, as well as the Warrior Games competitions, are free and open to the public.
Information about the Army team selection and the 2013 Warrior Games will be provided in the coming months at the Warrior Transition Command Road to Warrior Games page at http://www.wtc.army.mil/about_us/warriorgames2013.html, and U.S. Paralympics website at http://www.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics.aspx.
For information, photographs and videos about the Army’s 2012 Warrior Games athletes go to http://www.dvidshub.net/search?q=warrior+games+2012.
The competition is sponsored by the U.S. Olympic Committee and Deloitte and supported by the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, BP, USO, Fisher House Foundation and the Bob Woodruff Foundation. Warrior Games was created in 2010 as an introduction to adaptive sports and reconditioning activities for service members and veterans.