Coach helps All-Marine Warrior Games shooting team sweep the board

Photo By Aquita Brown | Cpl. Nick Beach participates in the Warrior Games shooting final. Beach is a native of Dresden, Ohio, and competed in the 50m and 100m freestyle, 50m backstroke, air rifle standing-SH1, and air pistol-SH1. He took home the gold in air rifle standing-SH1.  

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, UNITED STATES

05.19.2011

Story by Aquita Brown 

Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - “Breath and remember that it is a 40 and one shot match. Until the match is over anything can happen.” This is the guidance that All-Marine shooting coach Roger Withrow told his athletes before the final round of the Warrior Games shooting competition. In the end, Withrow’s words of wisdom paid off.

The All-Marine team took home 20 out of 24 medals. They earned gold in all eight shooting events: air rifle prone-open, air rifle prone-SH1 (shooters able to support a gun without a stand), air rifle prone-SH2 (shooters requiring a gun support in order to shoot), air rifle standing-open, air rifle standing-SH1, air rifle standing-SH2, air pistol-open and air pistol-SH1. At the end of the final rounds, the Marines had a total of eight gold, six silver and six bronze medals.

“The Warrior Games is an excellent competition. It retrieves the self worth that any man or woman may have lost because of their traumatic injury,” said Withrow. “Self worth is what drives the soul in ones life.”

Withrow was injured in 1979 while working in an industrial plant. A 236-inch pipe landed on his back, damaging three of his vertebras. Withrow later learned that he would never walk again.

“I was supposed to participate in the [Pan American] Games that year provided my rehab worked. Unfortunately, my body did not recover from this injury,” continued Withrow.

Both athletes and coaches believe that Withrow has been an asset to the Marine team. “He has been coaching shooting for over 30 years,” said Maj. Susan Stark, Wounded Warrior Regiment Warrior Athlete Reconditioning program director. “He has a wealth of experience coaching athletes. He takes the time to understand what mental and physical guidance each athlete needs. We could not have swept the board if it was not for our excellent coaching staff.”

Withrow helps wounded, ill and injured Marine athletes discover their self worth through competition. He has recruited several athletes to the All-Marine team.

“I tell all of my athletes to keep the faith,” said Withrow. “Lance Weir [All-Marine shooting team athlete] did not know that he could competitively shoot and he ended up with not only a silver medal but gold as well.”

Marine veteran Lance Cpl. Weir had a non-service related injury as well. He was in a diving accident in 1993.

Withrow wants to let our service members know that, “the Warrior Games is not just open to combat veterans. It is open to those who get injured stateside in non-combat accidents. What I have learned from working with the Corps is that Marines take care of their men and women. This has been one of my ultimate goals in life, to see the [Marines Corps] wounded warrior programs evolve into what it is today.”

Established in 2007, the Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment was created to provide and facilitate non-medical care to combat and non-combat wounded, ill, and injured Marines, and sailors attached to or in direct support of Marine units and their family members in order to assist them as they return to duty or transition to civilian life. The Regimental Headquarters element, located in Quantico, Va., commands the operations of two Wounded Warrior Battalions located at Camp Pendleton, Calif., and Camp Lejeune, N.C., and multiple detachments in locations around the globe.

For more information about the Wounded Warrior Regiment or the 2011 Warrior Games, go to: www.woundedwarriorregiment.org or call the Sgt. Merlin German Wounded Warrior Call Center 24/7 at [phone].

Marines and Marine veterans who are interested in participating in next year’s Warrior Games should contact the WAR program staff at [e-mail].

• Date Taken: 05.19.2011
• Date Posted: 05.20.2011 02:15
• Story ID: 70729
• Location: COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, US