Courtesy Photo | Royce Riggans, the All-Marine Warrior Games team cycling mechanic, rushes to fix a...... read more read more
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The inter-service battle echoed throughout Colorado Springs as the 2012 Warrior Games set the stage for one of the most pride-fueled events in the U.S. military May 1-5.
Having won the Warrior Games Chairman’s Cup two years in a row, opposing athletes and fans were aiming to crush the Marine ego that had carried them to victory in the past.
The battle lines were drawn as Army fans held posters that read, “The few, the proud, the sparkling,” and an enthusiastic cheering section at all events. The crowd support was sharply divided between services, but behind the scenes, the warrior athletes bonded to ensure they all got the chance to compete to the fullest extent.
The first day of competition drew cyclists to the Air Force Academy. Prior to the first race a cyclist from the Navy team rolled his hand crank cycle through the parking lot where all teams were staged. His cable snapped and the Navy team didn’t have the parts or mechanic to fix it before race time. Cycling mechanic Royce Riggan fixed the cycle in less than 10 minutes.
“We rolled down to the Marine Corps cadre and without hesitation, they jumped on it,” said James Wilson, the program manager for the Navy Wounded Warrior Adaptive Sports program. “They got the part, fixed the bike and got the kid in the race. Had it not been for the Marine team, our guy would not have raced.”
Wilson was appreciative of the generosity and sportsmanship the Marine team displayed and made it known during a visit by the Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. James Amos and Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps Micheal Barrett.
“In the big scheme of things, those medals hanging from the awards table are just for display. What just happened down there, fixing that bike—that’s Warrior Games,” said Wilson to the Corps’ top leaders.
The shooting and archery team shared training spaces with the Army before the games began. However, the Army and Special Operations Command team didn’t have the fancy gear the Marines brought with them. As a token of good sportsmanship, the Marine shooting coaches shared their rifle and pistol scoring system to practice their shots down range. The Army shooting team went on to win four out of 24 medals at the competition.
Coach Roger Withrow said the Marine shooting team wanted to make the competition fair across the board.
“We could have just kept it to ourselves, but our Marines were doing great,” Withrow said. “We knew it as coaches and we had all the confidence in the world. However, it’s not just about winning medals, its about helping others get healthy. “The whole thing is about helping our brothers and sisters build self worth within themselves so they can go out and be productive citizens.”
“These Marines represent all that is good about our Corps,” Barrett said. “Their efforts and successes reflect that they still have a lot to give. As a matter of fact, they are thriving.”
The Chairman’s Cup went to the Marines again this year with an impressive win over the other services with 89 medals. The shooting team alone swept 20 out of 24 medals. As the athletes return to their respective hometown or battalion they look forward to next year’s Warrior Games, where they hope to turn their three-peat into a dynasty.
| Date Taken: | 05.06.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.07.2012 00:46 |
| Story ID: | 87999 |
| Location: | COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO, US |
| Web Views: | 346 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Marines win Chairman’s Cup with strength and grace, by SSgt Heidi Agostini, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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