JUNE 16, 2026 – When retired Army Staff Sgt. Gene Calantoc lost his leg in 2020, he was introduced to adaptive sports and competed in the 2024 Warrior Games. Now, two years later, he’s back as a stronger competitor.
During his first games, Calantoc said he was still learning how to move through adaptive sports with speed, skill and confidence. This year, competing with Team Army at the 2026 Warrior Games, he returned with experience, a stronger voice on the basketball court and a deeper understanding of what recovery can become when family, teammates and purpose move with him.
Calantoc served 10 years in the Army, and in 2020, his life changed following a motorcycle accident that resulted in the loss of his left leg. His recovery began during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, making an already difficult journey more challenging for him and his family.
In 2024, Calantoc was assigned to a Soldier Recovery Unit at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, which is where he was introduced to adaptive sports.
“I was quick and fast with my wheelchair, but I didn’t know the game,” he said.
Since then, Calantoc has continued to play wheelchair basketball with the San Antonio Spurs and has attended adaptive sports camps to sharpen his skills. The added experience helped him become more vocal, confident and intentional during competition.
“Now, I know what to do on the court,” he said. “It’s a lot of communication and knowing your role.”
His wife, Miho Calantoc, said the difference between 2024 and 2026 is visible.
“He’s less nervous than he was when he first competed,” she said. “He’s more verbal and communicates more with the team. He takes initiative in making sure the team is together.”
For Calantoc, adaptive sports have become more than competition. They help him stay active, connected and focused. His motto — “Stay true. When life knocks you down, rise stronger and keep moving forward” — reflects the mindset he continues to carry through recovery.
“That motto is big for me,” he said. “There’s a day where I’ll get depressed, but that’s only one day. Every day is a new day.”
Following the 2026 Warrior Games, Calantoc plans to compete in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Detroit next month. He said adaptive sports help him remain connected to others.
“I’ve got adaptive sports, and it keeps me busy,” he said. “It keeps me smiling and enjoying life.”
Miho Calantoc said she has watched the way adaptive sports have changed her husband and their family.
“It’s amazing,” she said. “We’ve been in a dark space, and adaptive sports brings him so much light. It’s such a blessing to see the difference when he is competing and how brightly he shines.”
The week leading up to the Warrior Games also brought another milestone for the Calantoc family. They received an Americans with Disabilities Act-accessible home, a moment both Calantoc and his wife described as life-changing.
“Thinking about it still makes me cry,” Calantoc said. “I really wasn’t expecting it.”
For the family, the home represents more than a new address. It represents safety, independence and relief after years of navigating a house that was not built for Calantoc’s needs.
“A lot of times, I’ll take a shower [and] I’ll slip and fall,” Calantoc said. “This house our family received is really going to change my life; it’s going to make it easier for me.”
Miho Calantoc said the home is an answered prayer from her side of the recovery journey as his spouse.
“As a caregiver, there was a lot of worry from my end, especially in the restroom or bathtub,” she said. “I know he’s a very independent person. Just him being able to get back that independence is so heartwarming for him and for myself.”
For Calantoc, having his wife and children with him during the Warrior Games adds meaning to every event.
“When my family is here, that’s big support,” he said. “I want to say ‘thank you’ to my wife and my kids [for] being here, supporting me. It’s huge.”
Miho Calantoc said watching their father compete has become a lesson in resilience for their children.
“They know Dad’s got it, so we got it, too,” she said. “He shows them that you can do anything when you put your mind to it.”
Calantoc said he tries to pass that same lesson on to others in the adaptive sports community.
He tells them, “Try all these adaptive sports. You don’t know what you can do until you try it.”
Warrior Games week represents more than competition for the Calantoc family. It’s another step forward in a recovery journey that has touched their lives, a competitor returning with confidence and a family beginning a new chapter in a home built to support the independence he continues to reclaim.
By Vernishia Vaughn
Army Recovery Care Program