By Air Force Airman 1st Class Keith Holcomb, 14th Flying
Training Wing
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- The end of an Easter egg
hunt in 2017 brought Air Force Capt. Hunter Barnhill, 37th Flying Training
Squadron instructor pilot, down to the ground as his body was trapped in a
seizure.
The seizure was a result of the brain cancer that doctors
would soon discover. Within days and through the following months Barnhill’s
family, friends and coworkers were helping him through one of the most
difficult times in his life.
Helping Hand
But there was another helping hand ready to assist the
pilot.
“There was an email chain between my commander at the time
and somebody at the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program,” Barnhill said. “They
had said something along the lines of ‘Captian Barnhill just went under some
serious brain surgery and we’d recommend him as a member of the AFW2 Program.’”
He recalled going through physical therapy the summer after
his surgery, and he would watch the Invictus Games, an international adaptive
multisport event, on his computer as he stretched and did his workouts.
“I was impressed,” he said. “If they could go through the
traumas they went through and find their healing through different sports … I
mean that got them this far then why couldn’t I do it? That’s kind of where my
interest in the Warrior Games began.”
He competed in a handful of adaptive sports during an AFW2
camp at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, which only motivated him further to try out
for the 2018 DoD Warrior Games team.
“When you get down to it, the real motivation is competing
alongside other resilient airmen,” Barnhill said. “I wanted to compete
alongside them. These people at the Warrior Games know, in a way, what I’ve
gone through. That’s a bond we all share.”
DoD Warrior Games
After the tryouts, Barnhill qualified for shooting, cycling
and indoor rowing events and will be competing in all three events at the 2018
DoD Warrior Games from June 1 to 9 at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado
Springs, Colorado.
“I grew up deer hunting and shooting, so I was immediately
drawn to the air pistol and air rifle shooting,” he said. “I was never much of
a cycler before I started training, honestly. I have never done any competitive
cycling, but I used to bike everywhere as a kid and in college. I used rowing
predominantly as a warm up before workouts, but the indoor rowing in particular
is one of those sports I have fallen in love with because of its introduction
to me through the AFW2 program.”
The teams for each of the sports have Facebook groups where
they can communicate with teammates, have live videos of workouts for instant
feedback from their coaches, and review new workout routines or receive tips to
help improve.
A lot of coaches, like Air Force Col. Todd Benson, one of
AFW2’s shooting coaches, are active-duty members in the Air Force and have a
large background in the sport they are involved with.
“Our warriors have taught me that two of the most important
tools to recovery are humor and patience,” Benson said. “Lending an ear or
igniting a smile can mean more to our warriors than you will ever know.”
Benson said from his experience coaching the marksmen and
helping the athletes overcome their different obstacles over the years is a
very rewarding experience.
“If you want to be inspired and humbled, meet a wounded
warrior and ask them to tell you their story,” Benson said. “You will discover
a renewed sense of patriotism and become energized to contribute to this great
nation. It is an honor to coach an amazing airman such as Captain Barnhill. His
drive, positive attitude, and amazing family have been an inspiration. I have
no doubt he will inspire anyone who has the privilege to shake his hand.”
The shared experiences and sacrifices of the athletes builds
strong bonds between everyone involved, Barnhill explained. Everyone knows in a
way what the person next to them has gone through and the team concept is what
allows the program to work as a recovery tool.
“All through training, my wife, Crystal, has been really
patient with me,” Barnhill said. “There’s been a lot of time I’ve had to spend
training. She and my son have put up with me and my schedule because they know
how much it means to me and it’s been really great. I really appreciate them
for that.”
Barnhill said this supportive family dynamic is evident with
other members of the team as well, and their families are willing to support
the team by any means possible.
“All of the families are very integrated into the teams,”
Barnhill said. “Athletes and caregivers, athletes and immediate family members;
everyone’s on the team together and it’s a one-team fight.”
When the games or AFW2 camps are over, the families work
with the athletes continuously to help them recover and progress personally and
professionally. They are the heroes behind the scenes, Barnhill said.
“Everybody at the Warrior Games has one goal,” he said. “The
goal is healing. There are second- and third-order effects that come from that
healing such as camaraderie and friendship. It’s those kinds of things that
keep me coming back.”
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