FORT LIBERTY, North Carolina –
The wheelchair rugby competition at the 2024 Army Trials had a sub on the court for a bit this evening. Lt. Gen. Mary Izaguirre, the 46th Surgeon General of the Army, came to show her support for the next Team Army. “It's wonderful to see some of the folks I recognize from previous years and some new competitors and the energy that I felt out there on the court with them!” said Izaguirre.
Army Veteran Sgt. 1st Class Lavone Kendrick, a former Team Army and Team US member competing for her place on this year’s team, was very excited to speak with Izaguirre. “It is very inspiring to see our leaders take an interest in such a phenomenal project that provides an incredible platform and opportunity for soldiers and veterans to participate in the fun parts of the healing process, said Kendrick. “Healing takes work, strategy, and patience, and the Army Trials and the Warrior Games are both amazing experiences! I am a returning athlete and a retired veteran who can say in complete confidence, that the adaptive sports program changed the trajectory of my life and has given me a deeper appreciation for being alive and a changed perspective on what I still have to offer.”
No stranger to adaptive sports, Izaguirre shared her thoughts on how important they are in a Soldier’s recovery.
“Adaptive Sports is life-changing and lifesaving,” she explained. “The wounded warriors themselves have taught me that over the years. They’ve shared from their personal experiences how being a Soldier and then becoming a wounded, ill, or injured Soldier changed that identity and what their outlook was, and then adaptive sports helped them regain that.”
The TSG ‘chaired up’ and was among the athletes on the court who are vying for a coveted spot on Team Army, with the chance to compete at the 2024 Department of Defense Warrior Games this June in Orlando. She acknowledges how the games are part of recovery. “It helps bring that spirit of competition and camaraderie and warrior back into their lives in a very positive way,” she declared.
Izaguirre also shared the positive impact families and spouses have during a Soldier’s recovery, lauding their support and dedication while highlighting their importance to the journey. “They are such a critical part of the team in part of their Soldier’s recovery,” she noted. “We also have to understand there are new challenges and identities that they are facing right along with their Soldier.”
After wheeling around with the athletes and sharing some one-on-one conversations, the enthusiasm of this year’s Team Army was electric, and Izaguirre felt it. “I know they are going to knock it out of the park, and I cannot wait to see them take it home this June!”
As fun as the competition is, the leader of the U.S. Army Medical Command is clear about the pieces of the recovery puzzle adaptive sports bring together. “The way that this adaptive sports program addresses not only the physicality of the competitors on the field but also that sense of community and bringing together the competitors and the families is part of the healing,” added Izaguirre.