The Department of Defense has announced the names of 65 competitors who will compete on the United States team at the Invictus Games.
More than 500 wounded, ill, and injured service members from 19 allied nations are expected to compete at the Games in The Hague, Netherlands, on May 9-16, 2020.
Competitors will participate in nine adaptive sports: archery, athletics, indoor rowing, powerlifting, road cycling, sitting volleyball, swimming, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair rugby.
The United Kingdom’s Prince Harry, a former captain in the British army, founded the Invictus Games in 2014.
(Prince Harry launches a new international sporting event for ill or wounded servicemen, saying the ‘Invictus Games’ will help “demonstrate the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation and demonstrate life beyond disability”. Courtesy of the Royal Family Channel and YouTube. Posted on Mar 6, 2014.)
The Games are based on the United States’ concept of the Warrior Games and are designed to use the power of sport to inspire recovery, support rehabilitation, and generate a wider understanding of, and respect for, those who serve their country and their loved ones.
The following athletes have been selected as primaries for the U.S. team:
- Retired Staff Sgt. Ross Alewine, Army
- Gunnery Sgt. John Ayo, Marine Corps
- Cpl. Josue Barron, Marine Corps
- Senior Airman John Berry, Air Force
- Private 1st Class Isaac Blunt, Marine Corps
- Retired Capt. Tim Bomke, Army
- Army Sgt. 1st Class Lance Borman, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Retired Senior Airman Brett Campfield, Air Force
- Army Specialist Steven Carmen, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Petty Officer Second Class Jai Cheon, Navy
- Petty Officer Second Class Daniel Clarke, Navy
- Lt. Joshua Connell, Navy
- Petty Officer Third Class Austin Cooper, Navy
- Petty Officer Second Class Jacob Cox, Coast Guard
- Capt. Patrick Nugent, Marine Corps
- Army Staff Sgt. Travis Dunn, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Retired Specialist Angela Euson, Army
- Navy Chief Petty Officer Phillip Fong, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Petty Officer First Class Ruth Freeman, Navy
- Retired Specialist Brent Garlic, Army
- Senior Airman Demarcus Garrett, Air Force
- Seaman Gabriel George, Navy
- Retired Tech. Sgt. Chunte Gonzalez, Air Force
- Staff Sgt. Beth Grauer, Marine Corps
- Staff Sgt. Kevin Greene, Air Force
- Master Sgt. Kenneth Guinn, Air Force
- Sgt. Matthew Hargrove, Marine Corps
- Cpl. Andrew Holliday, Marine Corps
- Petty Officer Third Class Dakota Hollingsworth, Navy
- Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Tiffany Hudgins, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Petty Officer Second Class Darius Jones, Navy
- Retired Staff Sgt. Beth King, Army
- Cpl. Tisha Knickerbocker, Marine Corps
- Retired Chief Master Sgt. Garrett Kuwada, Air Force
- Petty Officer Second Class Joshua Laban, Navy
- Army Staff Sgt. Fred Lewis, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Retired Major Lisa McCranie, Air Force
- Retired Sgt. Chris McGinnis, Army
- Gunnery Sgt. Steven McKay, Marine Corps
- Retired Senior Airman Rafael Morfin, Air Force
- Retired Capt. Kristen Morris, Air Force
- Army Sgt. Major David Neumer, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Sgt. Michael Nicholson, Marine Corps
- Fireman Christoper North, Coast Guard
- Sgt. 1st Class Earl Ohlinger, Army
- Navy Petty Officer First Class Victoria Oldani, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Retired Sgt. 1st Class Josh Olsen, Army
- Staff Sgt. August O’Neil, Air Force
- Army Sgt. 1st Class Dawn Page, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Petty Officer Second Class John Pulido, Navy
- Staff Sgt. Paul Reifke, Army
- Retired Master Sgt. Andres Rodriguez, Air Force
- Retired Staff Sgt. Joel Rodriquez, Army
- Retired Staff Sgt. Shawn Runnells, Army
- Cpl. Jorge Salazar, Marine Corps
- Retired Specialist Michelle Sanchez, Army
- Petty Officer First Class Tyson Schmidt, Navy
- Retired Tech. Sgt. Joshua Smith, Air Force
- Staff Sgt. Seth Smith, Marine Corps
- Navy Lt. Isaiah Staley, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Cpl. Kionte Storey, Marine Corps
- Army Master Sgt. George Vera, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Army Capt. Sean Walsh, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Air Force Staff Sgt. Mario Webb, U.S. Special Operations Command
- Retired Capt. Alex Wilson, Army
Retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Joshua Smith, and Master Sgt. George Vera, U.S. Special Operations Command, were selected as Team U.S. co-captains.
(See the highlights of an incredible week in Sydney of supporters. Each competitor has a different motivation for attending the #InvictusGames and is at a different stage on their journey but all are, or become, part of the #InvictusFamily. Courtesy of the Invictus Games Foundation and YouTube. Posted on Oct 28, 2018.)
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