Courtesy Photo | From left: Silver medal winner U.S. Army veteran Capt. Frank Barroqueiro, Gainesville,...... read more read more
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FORT BLISS, Texas - The aim of the bow, the release of the arrow, then the thump of the target getting hit, this is the sound of wounded, ill and injured Soldiers and veterans participating at the 2015 Army Trials archery event at the Ronald D. Milam Fitness Center, Fort Bliss, Texas.
Several Soldiers and veterans gathered to compete in the archery event. More than eight hours of painstaking archery precision was displayed by the competing athletes.
Taking the gold medal home in the men’s compound archery event was U.S. Army veteran Scotty Hastings, Clarksville, Tennessee. The silver medal went to U.S. Army veteran Frank Barroqueiro from Gainesville, Georgia, and the bronze medal was seized by U.S. Army veteran Sgt. Jason Posey, Kinston, North Carolina.
“This is a great triumph for us, we all worked very hard at this event,” said U.S. Army veteran Staff Sgt. Billy Meeks from Las Cruces, New Mexico, who took home a gold medal in the more difficult class utilizing the recurve bow archery event.
“I’m happy to receive this medal. This year’s competitors were hard to beat, but I focused on the event and worked my way to the top spot,” he said.
Although the medal-driven event is fierce, for Meeks, who took the bronze medal in the air pistol event it was more about self-investment and gratification.
“I am a high achiever and, even though this is my main event, I had to step out of my comfort zone and push myself to do my best in a new event,” he said.
While on a mission in Iraq in 2009, Meeks was injured when an improvised explosive device exploded causing severe damage to the front of the vehicle knocking him unconscious for 45 minutes.
For Hastings, after taking third in last year’s compound archery event, taking first place today was worth the hard work he put into it. Hastings was injured while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2012 where he was shot five times in the shoulder and five times in the left thigh.
“It was a hard transition but with repetition and adaptive sports training, I was able to overcome my injury,” he said.
Through the adaptive sport of archery, he had to learn to be left handed since his right hand no longer functions correctly.
“I was grateful to find adaptive sports reconditioning; it opened an opportunity for me to recover.”
“Watching this event is symbolic to me. These brave individuals are far from broken, just like their arrows. The arrows are precise just like the individuals launching them and that is why I am here to watch and support them,” said archery enthusiast Monique Alvarado from El Paso, Texas.
The benefits for the wounded warriors participating in the archery event allow them to concentrate on their mental and physical abilities rather than disabilities. Approximately 80 wounded, ill, and injured Soldiers and veterans are at Fort Bliss to train and compete in a series of athletic events including archery, cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair basketball.
Army Trials, March 29-April 2, are conducted by the Army Warrior Transition Command and hosted by Fort Bliss. Army Trials help determine who will get a spot on the Department of Defense Warrior Games 2015 Army Team in June at Marine Corps Base, Quantico, Virginia.
| Date Taken: | 04.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 04.01.2015 13:28 |
| Story ID: | 158799 |
| Location: | FORT BLISS, TX, US |
| Hometown: | CLARKSVILLE, TN, US |
| Hometown: | GAINESVILLE, FL, US |
| Hometown: | KINSTON, NC, US |
| Hometown: | LAS CRUCES, NM, US |
| Web Views: | 197 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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