Team Army Competitor Brings 'Never Give Up' Spirit to Warrior Games

June 22, 2026 | By Vernishia Vaughn, Army Recovery Care Program |

For Army Capt. Vanessa Munro, arriving at the 2026 Warrior Games already feels like a victory. Before the first event began and before scores were posted, Munro's presence with Team Army was a reminder of how far recovery can reach when determination, support and purpose come together.

Munro's victory is being part of a team again. After a tragic car accident in 2023 resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury, brain surgery and an extended coma, the road back has included months of hospitalization, intensive rehabilitation and daily work to regain strength, confidence and independence.

Now competing with Team Army, Munro is reconnecting with something she's missed: the camaraderie, joking, banter and shared support that come with being part of a team.

Munro's mother, Heidi, shared that the Warrior Games has given her daughter an opportunity to be surrounded by athletes and coaches who see her.

"She loves how everyone supports one another and how people treat her as capable, not disabled," Heidi said.

Munro was commissioned as a field artillery officer in 2018 after completing ROTC at the University of Washington. After four years in her branch, she was selected for the Army's Interservice Physician Assistant Program. Before the accident, she was also an elite athlete and Ironman competitor. Her soldiers often called her "The Iron Ma'am." After the accident, a new nickname emerged.

Heidi said as friends came in and out of Munro's inpatient room with Starbucks, sushi, cute clothes and colorful head coverings, they helped bring light into a difficult season. They bedazzled her wheelchair and walker, decorated her room and made sure her nails were painted. Before long, Munro became known as "The Bougie TBI Girl," a moniker she carries now that captures both parts of her story.

For Heidi and Kailee, Munro's childhood best friend and caregiver, that moniker is more than a phrase. It reflects how Munro has approached recovery from the beginning.

Even in a semiconscious state, Munro didn't want to be seen as disabled. Once she could walk, she refused to use the wheelchair. Then she refused the walker. About six months after the accident, she began walking a mile a day. The pace was slow, and the walks required breaks, but Munro kept asking to go.

On days when Heidi and Kailee were exhausted, Munro would look at them and say, "Outside time." From the beginning, they said, she refused to give up.

Adaptive sports became another part of her recovery. Munro's first adaptive sport was skiing, which made her feel alive and free again. Her confidence grew after that first ski trip. Swimming came next, and once she connected with an adaptive swim coach, the pool became a place where she could focus on what she could do rather than what she couldn't do.

The adaptive triathlon later reintroduced Munro to competition, wearing a uniform, supporting others and being supported by a team.

Participation in various sports activities, plus the Warrior Games, has helped Munro reconnect with the athlete she was before her injury while continuing to discover who she is now.

Kailee said what people see during competition is only part of the story.

"What I've witnessed isn't just physical recovery; it's resilience," Kailee said. "I've watched Vanessa choose to keep showing up when it would have been easier not to. I've watched her rebuild pieces of herself one day at a time. The Warrior Games are incredible, but it's just the visible part of a recovery that's been happening every single day for years."

For Heidi, watching Munro compete has been deeply emotional. Two years ago, doctors told the family Munro would never walk or talk again. Seeing her at the Warrior Games just 30 months into recovery has filled her with hope.

"The real work has taken place in countless therapy sessions, difficult mornings, bouts of depression, setbacks and small victories that most people never see," Heidi said.

One of the most powerful moments came on the track.

"I cried at the track," Heidi said. "I watch her struggle to walk every day always afraid she'll trip over her own foot. I've never seen her run, so to watch her run the 200, with obvious difficulty and exhaustion, and to finish it to a standing ovation and the entire crowd cheering for her, that was the highlight of Warrior Games for me."

When Munro was shown videos of herself walking for the first time after her injury and asked what she thought about herself from the beginning of recovery until now, she chose three words: "Surprised. Excited. Inspired."

For Kailee, the hope is that Munro sees what those closest to her have seen all along.

"Recovery hasn't been about finding her way back to the exact person she was before," she said. "It's been about discovering who she is now, the same fierce, determined, funny, stubborn and compassionate person who inspired people before the accident."

Kailee said Munro's path looks different today, but her strength has never left her.

For Munro, her journey isn't about becoming less than she was before. It's about continuing to move forward, reclaiming pieces of herself and proving, one step and one competition at a time, that "never give up" is more than a motto.

It's how she got here.

Editor's note: Because Munro is still in recovery, some responses and additional context for this story were provided through her mother, Heidi, and her childhood best friend and caregiver, Kailee.

Team Army Opens 2026 Warrior Games With Eight Powerlifting Medals

June 17, 2026 | By Vernishia Vaughn, Army Recovery Care Program |

Team Army opened the first day of competition at the 2026 Warrior Games in San Antonio with wins in powerlifting, earning eight medals while demonstrating that the greatest victories often extend far beyond the podium. 

The powerlifting medalists included: 1st Lt. Jani Merritt, gold; Staff Sgt. Chelsea Scott, gold; Staff Sgt. Nate Mateo, gold; Sgt. Tukiau Salanoa-Tuioti, gold; Capt. Channda Mitchell, gold; Capt. Jake Malven, silver; retired Sgt. 1st Class Valerie Watkins, bronze and retired Capt. Tony Smith, bronze. 

While the medals reflected exceptional performances on the platform, the stories behind them highlighted the perseverance, support and sense of community that define the Warrior Games experience as well as the Army Recovery Care Program's commitment to helping wounded, ill and injured soldiers recover and thrive. 

Mateo, a second-time Warrior Games competitor, said he shares his gold medal with family, who traveled nearly 24 hours from Saipan to cheer him on in San Antonio. He said seeing his family and friends in the stands served as a powerful reminder that recovery is rarely a journey taken alone.   

"My wife, Regina, and my family have been with me from the start," Mateo said. "I wouldn't have been where I am today if it wasn't for her. She’s been keeping me in the right state of mind and reminding me of all we have accomplished together through this journey." 

Returning to the Warrior Games with another year of training and experience behind him, Mateo said the lessons from coaches and teammates have prepared him mentally and physically while inspiring him to pay that support forward. 

"Everything I learned and experienced last year followed me into this year," he said. "This year, my goal is to return that favor by encouraging, mentoring and supporting everyone on Team Army." 

For first-time competitor Scott, a gold medal was meaningful, but the relationships forged throughout recovery proved even more valuable. 

"Winning a gold medal at my first Warrior Games is something I'm incredibly proud of, but what this experience represents goes far beyond the medal itself," she said. "Recovery can sometimes feel isolating, but being part of this team continuously reminds me that I'm not alone." 

Scott credits adaptive sports and the Army Recovery Care Program with helping her regain confidence and discover new ways to challenge herself as she navigates recovery. 

"They showed me that recovery is not just about healing, and it's certainly not linear," she said. "It's about finding new ways to grow, push your limits and continue doing the things you love." 

Smith also made his Warrior Games debut June 13, earning a bronze medal after overcoming doubts and trusting the preparation that brought him to the platform. 

"I was excited, but I was also nervous," he said. "After losing a significant amount of weight over the past few months, I was the lightest competitor in my division. There were definitely moments of doubt, but I trusted my training, my coaches and the support system that helped me get there." 

Looking beyond the medal itself, Smith said the Warrior Games reinforced lessons that will remain with him long after the competition ends. 

"This journey taught me that recovery is a process, not an event," he said. "More than anything, I learned the importance of community. None of us accomplish things alone. While I'm proud of the bronze medal, I'm even more grateful for the lessons this experience has reinforced: trust the process, lean on your support system and never count yourself out." 

The Army Recovery Care Program uses adaptive sports and reconditioning activities to assist wounded, ill and injured soldiers build confidence, resilience and community throughout their recovery journeys. On the opening day of competition, Team Army's powerlifting performance reflected not only athletic achievement but also the determination to keep moving forward despite injury, illness and adversity. 

As the 2026 Warrior Games continue throughout the week, Team Army competitors will carry that same united spirit into every event, proving that while medals are earned on the field of play, recovery itself is the greatest victory.

Marine Corps Opens 2026 Warrior Games With Strong Showing

June 16, 2026 | By Yvonne Reed-Carlock, Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment |

Team Marine Corps opened the competition at the 2026 Warrior Games June 13, with a strong showing in powerlifting and an exhibition pickleball competition, earning 10 medals and setting the tone for the week ahead. 

The opening day featured a powerlifting competition at the Henry B. González Convention Center in San Antonio, where Team Marine Corps athletes captured two gold, four silver and four bronze medals.

Master Sgt. Stevan Ball earned a gold in the men's 97-kilogram division, while Staff Sgt. Brett Meil captured gold in the men's 107-kilogram division. For Meil, a Texas native, the victory came in front of a host of family members, including his wife and 20-month-old son.  

Earlier this week, Meil said participating in the Warrior Games is important because of the sense of belonging he finds among fellow competitors, making his gold-medal performance especially meaningful, being close to home. 

Ball, a communications chief recovering from multiple injuries, including a traumatic brain injury and dual hip surgeries, credits adaptive sports with helping to restore his purpose while also providing an avenue to display resilience throughout his recovery. 

Silver medals were earned by Staff Sgt. Marshal Ivy, Staff Sgt. Morgan Rempel, veteran Giavanna Vicario and Lance Cpl. Calbert Martinez. Bronze medals went to Capt. Gabriela Ortiz, Maj. Kim Yen Soto, Master Sgt. Modesto Garcia and Pfc. Baltazar Torresjara. 

In the women's 55-kilogram division, Vicario and Ortiz shared the podium for Team Marine Corps. Every Team Marine Corps woman who competed in powerlifting earned a medal during the opening day of competition. 

For Ortiz, the bronze-medal performance came during her first Warrior Games competition and in front of a hometown crowd. The San Antonio native was supported by her parents and members of her unit as she helped Team Marine Corps open the games with a strong showing. 

"It was amazing," Ortiz said. "All the females got a medal. That was the strongest thing I've seen." 

Vicario, competing in her second Warrior Games after earning 11 medals during the 2025 competition, said medaling in the first competition of the week meant a great deal and helped set the tone for the remainder of the event. 

Soto, Team Marine Corps' captain, also opened the week on the podium with a bronze-medal performance, while Garcia earned bronze in the men's 88-kilogram division. 

In addition to powerlifting, Team Marine Corps athletes participated in the inaugural Warrior Games pickleball exhibition. The team featured retired Gunnery Sgt. Gabriela Carbajal, Lance Cpl. Yates Cooper Jr., veteran Arion Klein and Staff Sgt. Jacob Wolfe, a Marine Corps reservist. The exhibition marked the introduction of pickleball to the Warrior Games, highlighting the continued evolution of adaptive sports opportunities available to wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans. 

The day was not without adversity. Lance Cpl. Brandon Ndashi suffered an injury prior to the competition and was unable to participate. His teammates rallied around him while continuing to represent the Marine Corps with determination and competitive spirit throughout the day. 

The Warrior Games bring together wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans from across the War Department to compete in adaptive sports while promoting recovery, rehabilitation and camaraderie. Team Marine Corps athletes demonstrated those values throughout the opening day, experiencing recovery in real time while competing alongside fellow wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans.

Military Medical Care Helps Wounded Warrior Accomplish Life’s Tasks

Advances in military medical technology are helping one wounded warrior get back to life. Taylor Morris, a Navy Explosive Ordinance Disposal Technician, lost both legs, left arm and right hand in a bomb blast in Afghanistan, May 2012. The Iowa native is undergoing treatment and rigorous physical therapy at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

Morris’ story is a common one among the wounded heroes who return home from Afghanistan and Iraq. The military’s health system has had to adapt to accommodate the needs of soldiers with severe injuries. The Warrior Care blog estimates close to 14,000 service members are recovering from the wounds of war every day, with hundreds of thousands battling the invisible wounds of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Morris’ therapy has helped him return to doing even the most mundane of chores, like making breakfast and working on his hand-eye coordination. The love story of Morris and his girlfriend, Danielle Kelly, went viral this week on websites like Buzzfeed and the Huffington Post. There’s even a video of the couple dancing at a friend’s wedding, demonstrating how far he’s come with his therapy.

Former Paratrooper Now Serves as Paralympian

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

LONDON - After serving her country for nearly 10 years as a paratrooper, Centra “Cece” Mazyck continues to answer the nation's call at the 2012 Paralympic Games here.

Mazyck, who served with the 82nd Airborne Division, based at Fort Bragg, N.C., is a javelin thrower for the 2012 U.S. Paralympic team.

“It's been a great, great journey [and] experience,” she said. “It's surreal. The crowd is phenomenal.”

Here for her first Paralympic Games, the Army veteran explained what goes through her mind as she prepares to compete.

“I try to stay focused and try to remember all the points,” Mazyck said. “Chest first – lead with your chest. [I try to] make sure I get that long stretch in the back with the javelin, and [then] just fire like a rubber band. “[I] just continuously run through that process in my head.”

Mazyck said she is so passionate about the javelin, she decided to forgo the other traditional track and field events.

“I think the javelin found me,” she said. “I really have a passion for it. It's a really technical sport. I just fell in love with it. I dropped everything else – shot put, discus – for the javelin. I love it.”

In the Army, Mazyck started off as an administrative specialist in the 82nd Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Bragg jumping with the 82nd Airborne Division.

“And then I moved on to the Advanced Airborne Course Jump Master School,” she said, “where I became a jump master,” she said.

On a high-altitude jump in November 2003, Mazyck suffered a spinal cord injury.

“Unfortunately, on that cold November day, I got entangled with another jumper and I landed wrong, which caused me to become an incomplete paraplegic,” she said. “I retired in 2005.”

Mazyck credits her military career for helping her “adapt and overcome” – she calls that her sports motto -- and become a Paralympian.

“Being a paratrooper, and being in the military service, definitely helped me become a Paralympian,” she said. “With both of them, you have to stay focused and dedicated. And you have to serve your country with the utmost respect. So that's how the two are very parallel.”

Mazyck said she is grateful for the privilege of serving her country again, and looks forward to the 2016 Paralympic Games, set to take place in Rio de Janeiro.

“It is definitely an honor to serve my country – No. 1, as a veteran, and No. 2, as a Paralympian,” she said. “Words cannot express [my feelings]. I just think God gave me a second chance to serve my country. I will not let … any adversity stop me. I will proceed on. … Look out, Rio!”

Medalist Shares 'Humbling' Experience of Paralympic Competition

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

LONDON – The opportunity to compete in the 2012 Paralympic Games and to represent the United States in front of huge crowds has been a humbling experience, a U.S. Paralympic swimmer said here today.

Navy Lt. Bradley Snyder spoke during a news conference here today, a day before the one-year anniversary of losing his sight in Afghanistan.

“I don't get nervous very easily,” he said. “I kind of pride myself on my stoicism and my ability to utilize my experiences in the Navy to stress-manage.

“But I got incredibly nervous the first time I came out in front of that crowd,” he continued. “It's a very, very humbling experience to stand in front of that many people, and try to keep that distraction out and perform the way you want to.”

Snyder, who lost his vision Sept. 7, 2011, in an improvised explosive device attack, has won two Paralympic medals here. He set a Paralympic record during the qualifying round of the 100-meter freestyle swim, with a time of 57.18 seconds. Later in the day, he captured a gold medal during the final round of the same event.

“Both times I hopped out from the box, it was definitely a challenge to mitigate that distraction and still do what I wanted to do,” Snyder said. “It was really just … a kind of 'in the clouds' type of experience.”

The Navy lieutenant said he was grateful his U.S. Paralympic swimming teammates were there to support him for his inaugural event.

“It was really amazing to have my teammates behind me in my first swim,” Snyder said. “It gave me a lot of confidence, gave me a lot of momentum, and it kind of released the burden of the rest of the weeks of competition.”

Snyder also credited his military service with providing several skills beneficial to him as a blind swimmer.

“I think that earlier on in the military, you are [learning] a lot of virtues that set you up for success -- whether it's initiative,  commitment … [or] just being a regimented person,” he said.

Being organized and motivated, Snyder said, were valuable tools he picked up in the Navy that have carried him throughout his military service.

“My entire naval career is all kind of built along this idea that I'm a go-getter,” he said. “I want to go out and … experience success in whatever realm is kind of put in front of me.

“Blindness was just a new problem-solving challenge to me. I prided myself on my ability to do that,” Snyder added. “And once I reconciled the fact that I wasn't going to be able to see again, I just saw it as a new challenge and a new barrier to move past. And that's how I moved forward.”

Snyder said his six years as a Navy diver translated to his abilities as a blind swimmer.

“Contrary to the public opinion of diving, we do a lot of diving where it's not like gorgeous fish and shipwrecks and stuff like that,” he said. “It's diving in silt … and having to do intricate tasks underwater, where you can't see anything. [Having to be] able to do things under the water, blind -- it's not the first time I've had to do any of those things.”

Snyder said he believes the best is yet to come in his endeavors as a Paralympic swimmer.

“We work real hard, and I don't think we've tapped the potential I've had, but I've had an amazing experience here so far in London,” Snyder said. “It's an honor just to be here competing with the other para-athletes.”

Former Army Cadet Captures Paralympic Silver Medal

By Army Sgt. 1st Class Tyrone C. Marshall Jr.

American Forces Press Service

LONDON – Many Paralympic athletes participating in the 2012 Paralympic Games here have overcome diseases, injuries or other afflictions. But not many have suffered through a combination of all of those factors and still rose above them to experience success in their chosen sports the way Jennifer Schuble, a former cadet and three-letter varsity athlete at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., has been able to.

The former Army cadet suffered a traumatic brain injury during hand-to-hand combat training at the academy. She later was involved in a car accident in which her right arm was crushed and her TBI was exacerbated. In a final challenging blow, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2004.

Schuble, now a two-time Paralympian, spoke to American Forces Network here yesterday about the thrill of winning her second medal Sept. 1 at the Olympic Park's Velodrome and the electrifying crowd.

“It's just amazing hearing all the noises, screaming and roaring,” she said. “This is the loudest crowd I've ever raced in. And it's a sold-out crowd. It's just so amazing -- all these people, [and] they're screaming for us. It's just an environment that [brings excitement. People are wearing ear plugs [because] it's so loud in here. It's just like, ‘Wow!”

Schuble won her silver medal in the in the 500-meter time trial paracycling event, an event in which she earned the gold medal during the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.

“I knew I had to time the [starting] gate just right,” she said. “I had to get out fast. [I knew] I could jump it after all the false starts that happened earlier by other competitors throughout the week, and I timed the gate just right and went out like a rock star. I had the fastest lap, and I was holding on for dear life. I rode the fastest lap I've ever rode. It wasn't a gold medal round – I didn't defend my gold title – but still, Sarah [Storey of Great Britain] rode a great ride.”

Schuble said she’s pleased with her silver medal, and that she also has a bronze medal to add to her accomplishments, earned with her teammates in yesterday’s team sprint cycling event.

Although she has faced many mental and physical hurdles, Schuble has demonstrated the ability to continuously adapt and overcome the challenges of her disabilities.

“What helped me get through this is I set goals for myself,” she said. “I keep looking forward. I don't look back. And that's what kept me focused.”

Schuble noted she's been working in the gym to improve her balance and coordination. “That's what's kept me healthy and my disease in check,” she said.

Along with her resilience in overcoming her disabilities to be a successful Paralympic athlete, Schuble has applied her drive to academics as well. She graduated from the University of Alabama with a master's degree in production operation research, and she works full-time as an engineer for Mercedes-Benz Corp.

Although she didn't defend her gold here, Schuble said, she is satisfied with her performance after training for the last four years.

“I didn't get my Paralympic gold medal in the 500, but I got a silver, and I rode a personal best,” she noted. “So, I mean, to get two medals so far in the [2012] Paralympic Games, and I still have two more events, I can't be more happy.”