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By Tech. Sgt. Chris Powell
Air Force News Service
LONDON - The Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. James A. Winnefeld Jr. attended the first day of the Invictus Games here Sept. 11.
Winnefeld spoke with Invictus Games competitors, presented medals to the winners in track and field events, and met with Prince Harry of Wales and other senior military officials from foreign nations attending the event.
“One of the things I’ve learned while watching them is the triumph of ability over disability,” Winnefeld said. “These folks have given so much to their country, and they’ve suffered wounds, both internal and external. They’re showing us through their hard work, their teamwork, and their companionship that they’re able to overcome all of that and become something that’s bigger than their injury.”
The admiral said the Invictus Games are also about helping the athletes competing prove something to themselves.
“The wounded warriors get internal and external things that are very important. Internally, they prove to themselves that they can rise above their injury through hard work and dedication enables them to do things they never thought they’d be able to do,” he said. “Externally, they get to see the tremendous love, adoration and respect that these great audiences and their family members have for them.”
He stressed the importance of the coalition partner nations coming together to participate in the Invictus Games.
“Each one of these people were injured or wounded in the coalition fight,” he said. “We go to war against extremism and terrorism as a coalition and to come back here together as that same coalition ... is a great reminder that it started as coalition and ended as a coalition.”
The Invictus Games runs through Sept. 14 at the site of the 2012 summer Olympics and features athletes competing in various Paralympic-style events, including swimming, track and field, seated volleyball, wheelchair basketball, and wheelchair rugby, among others.
| Date Taken: | 09.13.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 09.13.2014 08:24 |
| Story ID: | 142060 |
| Location: | LONDON, GTL, GB |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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