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ORLANDO – Over 200 military service members are gathered in Orlando, Florida this week for the Department of Defense Warrior Games. It’s a competition for wounded, injured or sick active duty military and veterans.
The athletes will compete in 12 various adaptive sporting events, from wheelchair basketball to weightlifting, over nine days.
It’s a week of blood, sweat and tears, celebrating sacrifice.
Team Air Force and Team Navy compete in the gold medal wheelchair rugby game at the 2022 DoD Warrior Games.
(U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Angel Heraldez)
“It’s almost like an act of redemption,” said Corpsman Donald Calero, representing Team Navy.
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Every athlete has a powerful story of resilience, many injured while serving their country, or fighting illnesses.
Calero was diagnosed with cancer while serving in Japan.
“It’s hard to explain the feeling of being sick,” Calero said. “When you’re going a million miles an hour and then you have to stop because you physically can’t do it anymore, it puts you in a dark place.”
Calero said he’s excited to compete in his first Warrior Games this year because staying active was crucial to his physical and mental health during his cancer battle.
“It gives us the opportunity to reset and get the support we need from each other,” Calero said.
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Calero is now in remission and back to active duty, a journey that resonates with many of his competitors.
Master Sergeant Ivan Morera also fought to return to active duty after losing his hand in a vehicle rollover in Afghanistan in 2013. His limitations have not kept him from special forces operations.
“I wanted to feel that sense of family again, that’s what drove me,” MSG Morera said.
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Morera is now the only amputee on Military Free Fall (MFF) status and the only one-handed medic in the U.S. military.
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“We focus on ability, not disability, and that’s why we’re here,” Morera said. “We’re showing everyone what we’re capable to do and we can do everything everyone else can, we just do it different, that’s all.”
