Documentary Inspires Warrior Games Athletes

By Christen McCluney

April 23, 2010 - Walter Reed Army Medical Center hosted a preview of the documentary “Warrior Champions,” a film about the role sports can play in helping injured servicemembers live their dreams. The film features four soldier athletes as they set out to compete for a spot on the 2008 paralympic team.

At the screening one of the athletes featured in the film talked to wounded servicemembers who are in training for the inaugural Warrior Games. Army Veteran Melissa Stockwell, who lost her leg to a roadside bomb while serving in Iraq, participated in the Paralympics in 2008 as a swimmer. She shared with the audience that she was introduced to swimming through physical therapy at Walter Reed.

“You come to Walter Reed and you wonder what your life is going to be like. If you’ll ever be able to walk again and be independent again and you wonder if you can be athletic again.”

“You don’t have to come home with a gold medal you don’t have to be a paralympian just to be active that’s being successful,” she said. “Whatever disability you may have it’s not going to stop you in the world of sports. I have more self worth more confidence just being able to get out there in the game.”

Heath Calhoun who also spent time recovering at Walter Reed after losing both legs in Iraq encouraged the athletes as well.

“I got a new passion in life. I wasn’t much of a skier prior to losing my legs. But it was something that I was able to fall in love in with.”

Calhoun, who participated in the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver, Canada, tried skiing for the first time at a sports clinic five months after his injury. He said that skiing made him feel whole again and it gave him his legs back when he was able to get out on the snow and participate in the same activities as everyone else.

“It really did complete me. It gave me so much more back mentally and aided in my rehabilitation. It gave me a freedom I hadn’t experienced since I lost my legs. The more I was able to compete the more I felt I could go to the paralympics.”

The message that both of these athletes gave were inspiring to the warriors participating in the game particularly Army Sgt. Robert Laux, a wounded warrior recovering at Walter Reed.

Laux will participate in the inaugural games in the “Ultimate Warrior competition,” a pentathlon style competition that includes swimming, shooting, sprinting, track and shot put.

“It’s rough and tough and I love every minute of it,” he said. “I’m training every day.”

Before his injury Laux participated in cross country and track in high school and running in college. He said his hard work is paying off and he’s running faster than ever before. “Just to have some people recognize me and my abilities and that I’m actually somewhat that good, like a real Olympian. That would be great.”

His biggest expectation from the Warrior Games is to wear a gold medal around his neck.

He also added that the Warrior Champion film motivated him to strive for more and train harder like the athletes in the film.