Stories

Tag: Soldier Recovery Unit

Team US Member ready to climb another mountain at Winter Invictus Games
February 6, 2025 — Retired Navy Master Chief Steve Flemming, diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2018 and pancreatic Neuroendocrine Cancer in 2023, is set to compete in the inaugural Winter Invictus Games in Vancouver from February 8-16. Despite his health challenges, Flemming has embraced adaptive sports, inspired by a life-changing opportunity to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. His journey highlights resilience and the importance of adaptive sports in recovery. Competing in Alpine skiing, skeleton, wheelchair basketball, and swimming, he encourages others facing similar challenges to find and conquer their own "mountains," representing their strength and perseverance... MORE

Retired Navy Master Chief (Center) at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro in August of 2023.

We ARE TEAM U.S.!
February 6, 2025 — Team U.S. is gearing up for the inaugural Winter Invictus Games in Vancouver from February 8-16, inspired by the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" and focused on recovery through adaptive sports. Co-Captains retired Air Force Colonel Jacquelyn Marty and retired Army Master Sgt. Ivan Morera, both overcoming significant injuries, emphasize the importance of building relationships and resilience among team members. Marty's recovery journey began after a car accident in 2015, while Morera lost his left hand in 2013 due to a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. Both credit adaptive sports with helping them find hope and purpose beyond their injuries, and they aim to set positive examples for their children and fellow service members... MORE

Retired Army Master Sgt Ivan Morera and Retired Air Force Colonel Jacquelyn Marty are co-captains of Team U.S. They took a moment to strike a pose before talking to the team about bonding during the 2025 Team U.S. Invictus Games Training Camp located at Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM)

Soldier Mom will show how it's done at Winter Invictus Games
January 23, 2025 — Army Staff Sgt. Leandra Moehring, a stay-at-home mom who recently had her second child, is set to compete for Team U.S. in the Winter Invictus Games in Vancouver. After medically retiring last April due to a knee injury, she discovered adaptive sports at the Fort Liberty Soldier Recovery Unit, which played a crucial role in her recovery. Moehring, who won four gold medals in swimming at the 2023 Warrior Games Challenge, will now compete in swimming, Nordic skiing, and skeleton at the Invictus Games. She credits her supportive coaches and husband for her success and aims to promote adaptive sports as a vital part of a Soldier’s recovery, hoping to inspire her children with her achievements... MORE

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Leandra Moehring and her family.

Therapy in the SRU changes a Soldier’s path in life
January 16, 2025 — Army Spc. Kaden Cobban of the Montana National Guard suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in an explosion during an 18-month deployment in the Middle East. Despite his injury, he chose to continue his mission, not wanting to burden his unit. After returning home, Cobban was referred to the Soldier Recovery Unit at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, where he received extensive therapy, including vision and horse therapy, which transformed his life. Grateful for the support and treatment he received, Cobban plans to medically retire from the Army and pursue a career in equine therapy, inspired by his positive experiences at the SRU. He credits the program and his care team with helping him recover and find a new purpose... MORE

Spc. Kaden Cobban bonds with a horse during equine therapy.

National Guard Soldier Thankful for Soldier Recovery Unit
January 16, 2025 — Army Sgt. Alissa Rock, a multifaceted individual balancing roles as a wife, mom, Soldier in the Indiana National Guard, truck driver, and insurance worker, is now aspiring to become a lawyer. After sustaining a severe back injury during a deployment exercise, she was medically evacuated and treated through the Army Recovery Care Program at the Ft. Belvoir Soldier Recovery Unit. With support from her Transition Coordinator, Mr. Coleman, Rock has regained her confidence and is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in legal studies, with plans to attend law school. Grateful for the holistic recovery approach and the help from nonprofits, she emphasizes the importance of communicating needs to leadership and advocates for the SRU program’s resources... MORE

Alissa Rock is promoted to Sergeant at Fort Belvoir by Sgt. 1st Class Mark Affeltranger.

“Losing my sight made me a better snowboarder.”
January 15, 2025 — Retired Army Staff Sgt. Michael Murphy, who lost his sight in 2018 due to an accident while on deployment, is set to compete for Team U.S. in the first-ever Invictus Winter Games. Adaptive sports have given him a new lease on life, allowing him to participate in events like rowing, swimming, snowboarding, and skeleton. Having previously competed in the 2022 Warrior and Invictus Games, Murphy feels blessed to showcase his skills, especially in snowboarding, where he has learned to trust his guides completely. He attributes his recovery and success to the support of his adaptive sports community and his fiancé Ashley. Murphy's guide dog, Maverick, also plays a crucial role, providing emotional support during competitions. Murphy aims to inspire others and demonstrate the potential of blind athletes at this international level... MORE

Mike Murphy is airborne while snowboarding in a competition in Vermont in March 2024

Breast Cancer Survivor proud to represent Army on Team US at Invictus Winter Games
January 14, 2025 — Bryce Ewing's Army career was cut short by a breast cancer diagnosis at 23, but she has found new purpose through adaptive sports. As a medically retired Aviation Operations Specialist and mother of two from Warner Robins, Georgia, Ewing credits adaptive sports with improving her mental health and confidence. Training rigorously, she will compete in swimming, rowing, seated volleyball, and snowboarding at the first Winter Invictus Games in Vancouver, Canada. Despite having no prior experience in snowboarding, she embraces the challenge, highlighting the supportive community of coaches and teammates. Ewing's journey reflects resilience and the power of adaptive sports in recovery, providing her with physical and emotional strength and a sense of global camaraderie. Proudly representing Team US, she encourages others to watch the Winter Invictus Games for inspiration and support... MORE

Retired Army Spc. Bryce Ewing at her first powerlifting meet in Atlanta, Georgia, May 2024.

Soldier with ALS says she owes her life to adaptive sports
January 13, 2025 — Mary Porter, a retired Army Major and physician, was diagnosed with ALS in 2021, dramatically altering her life. Despite the rapid progression of her symptoms, she found solace and a renewed sense of purpose in adaptive skiing. Porter embraces adaptive sports with enthusiasm, training hard for the Winter Invictus Games in Toronto, and believes these sports have given her hope in the face of a terminal diagnosis. She finds inspiration in the resilient community of adaptive athletes and maintains a positive outlook, determined to live life to the fullest. Her husband, Alex, supports her daily, and she cherishes the new relationships and opportunities brought by adaptive sports, feeling these experiences have profoundly changed her life... MORE

Ret. Army Maj. Mary Porter Sit-skiing in Colorado.

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