Photo By Pfc. Anh Siev | U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Samantha Goldenstein (left), St. Robert, Mo., and U.S. Army...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Brandy Ostanik
Medical Department Activity – Alaska PAO
MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. - The 2015 DoD Warrior Games cycling competition kicked off with Team Army rolling their way to a successful morning of racing at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, June 21.
Under sunny skies and in front of a large, loud crowd of supporters, athletes from the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Special Operations Command and British Armed Forces took to the road on bikes of all shapes and sizes to compete in hand, recumbent, upright and tandem races.
While the athletes train throughout the year at their individual homes or duty stations, they come together during the Warrior Games as a team and the pride they take in being a part of that team is unmistakable.
Sgt. 1st Class Samantha Goldenstein, who earned a gold medal in the Upright C4.5 female division, downplayed her first-place finish.
“It feels great to win,” said Goldenstein, “Really though, I hope my team is out there doing just as well. I really want to see them all succeed.”
Throughout the morning’s competition athletes showed their resiliency and determination as they circled the challenging 5 km course amidst cheers for their respective branch of service.
Cpl. Matthew Mueller, whose wife and brother flew in from Colorado Springs, Colorado, for the event, competed in the upright tandem category. He was impressed with the crowd not just at the finish line but also along the course.
“There were people along the course cheering us on, which always makes you want to pedal a little faster,” said Mueller. “There were spectators in Air Force and Marine shirts who were cheering for us when we went by. It goes to show that the [DoD] Warrior Games is not just about the competition but about building relationships and building each other up during our respective recovery.”
One of the many highlights of the morning’s competition took place during the upright tandem event, where athletes who have visual impairments ride tandem bicycles with a pilot.
The 30-km race saw Army riders in all three, medal positions as the race drew to an end. In a display of solidarity, the three Army athletes threw their arms in the air, clasped hands and crossed the finish line as a single unit as onlookers erupted in appreciation of their effort and display of unity.
The athletes had talked about the possibility of crossing the finish line together, but it wasn’t really planned, said Spc. Anthony Atemon as he waited for his turn on the podium.
“This race wasn’t so much about who took what medal,” said Atemon, “but that we finished strong as a team. That’s what it is all about.”
The 2015 DoD Warrior Games, which continue through June 28, is an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans. Approximately 250 athletes, representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Special Operations Command and the British Armed Forces are competing in archery, cycling, track fand field, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming and wheelchair basketball.
| Date Taken: | 06.21.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.22.2015 22:05 |
| Story ID: | 167733 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA, US |
| Web Views: | 269 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Army cyclists roll their way to the podium, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT