Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Powell | Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer Hershel Walker (center...... read more read more
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – He was a National Football League superstar and one of the top college running backs of all time – Hershel Walker – and on May 15, 2013 he was at the U.S. Air Force Academy to show his support to 260 wounded, ill or injured service members from around the world competing at the 2013 Warrior Games.
For the past three years, the Warrior Games have brought together hundreds of wounded, ill or injured service members to compete in athletic competition. This year, the games include athletes from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, Special Operations Command and the United Kingdom.
Walker’s first stop was at the cadet gym where he met with some of the athletes before their competitions.
“One reason I’m here is because I want to say a big thank you to our young service men and women, because most civilians who do not have anything to do with the service don’t know what sacrifices our young men and women in the service have made,” he said. “These men and women have given me the opportunity to do what I do, and I want to support them anyway I can.”
Walker, who has visited more than a dozen Warrior Transition Units before coming to the Warrior Games, was quick to not only shake hands and pose for photos with the athletes, but he gave them pep talks before their matches and talked about the adversity in his life that he had struggled with and overcome.
“Another reason that I enjoy coming to events like this and meeting with these men and women is, I want to let them know that no matter what kind of challenge they are going through, whether it’s physical or mental I want to help them. My way of doing that is to share my experience with them and let them know there is no shame in asking for help. I did, and I struggled through a lot of things.”
The Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Famer was on hand to watch several of the games, including the sitting volleyball championship where the Army team snagged silver medals and the wheelchair basketball championship where the Army team claimed gold medals after defeating the Marine Corps team.
“I have been totally impressed here at the Warrior Games, at how competitive these young men and women are, how resilient they are, and the willpower they have to never quit,” said Walker. “Their strength and resilience is absolutely amazing, and I will tell you what is also amazing is that our leaders in the service have gotten behind this push of ensuring our men and women get the help they need. In the civilian world, you don’t see our leaders doing that. I think that support means so much.”
After each of the matches, Walker took time to personally congratulate each team member.
One of those who met him was a 2013 Warrior Games sitting volleyball silver-medalist, Army Sgt. Monica Southall, an automated logistics specialist from the Community-Based Warrior Transition Unit in Virginia. “It makes a huge difference having someone like Hershel Walker here,” the Suffolk, Va. native said. “It means a lot to us having him here showing his support and helping to get the word out about the importance of these games and adaptive sports.”
Walker seemed to really enjoy his time with the athletes and watching their performance during his first Warrior Games appearance. “I think the world needs to know that the Warrior Games are very important,” he said. “The men and women who have sacrificed so much to give us the freedoms we have are sacrificing again to show their willpower, strength and resilience. Should we not support them, and make this event as big as anything else?”
The Warrior Games conclude May 16, 2013, and Walker will be there continuing to show his support and helping to get the word out about how adaptive sporting events help in the recovery process.
| Date Taken: | 05.15.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2013 16:47 |
| Story ID: | 107054 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US |
| Hometown: | ATLANTA, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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