Photo By Staff Sgt. Shejal Pulivarti | U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Samantha Goldenstein, St. Robert, Mo., finishes...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – Six Army Reserve Soldiers earned a total of 27 medals collectively during the 2015 Department of Defense Warrior Games held at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia, June 19-28. The six were part of Team Army, comprised of 40 Soldiers from active duty, Reserve, National Guard, and veterans.
The assistant team captain of Team Army, Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Sam Goldenstein reflected on the accomplishments of her fellow Citizen Soldiers. “We are dedicated. We have to juggle two lives. We have our civilian jobs and responsibilities but we still have to maintain ourselves within our military career as well.”
In the mixed component team, Goldenstein expressed the idea of a total team concept. “We all came together as a team, regardless of component. At something like this, it doesn’t really matter. I didn’t really know who was in the Reserve and who is currently (on) active duty," said Goldenstein. “There’s not that distinguishing line here - we are one team.”
Juggling careers was a unique challenge for the reserve component Soldiers.
“It takes Reserve Soldiers more dedication to be successful at this kind of event. A WTB [Warrior Transition Battalion] Soldier has all day to train, around their medical appointments,” Goldenstein said. “Reservists, however, we have a full-time job, and we have to train after that full-time job. It’s definitely more difficult for Reservists to be successful at events like this.”
The Reserve Soldiers didn’t allow the added challenge stand in the way of their success, each placing in their respective events.
The 10-day competition consisted of eight adaptive sports events: Archery, cycling, shooting, sitting volleyball, swimming, track, field, and wheelchair basketball. Soldiers were present at all events, whether participating or cheering on their teammates.
Army Reserve Staff Sgt. Zedrik Pitts said, “The best part of competing for me is the team work aspect - having people behind me. Everybody joined forces to help me push past the finish line.”
Pitts, who uses adaptive sports to improve his overall well-being, competed in the cycling and track events. Although he doesn’t consider himself an athlete, he began cycling and running track within the last year as part of his medical treatment plan.
“Learning a new sport and progressing, both within that sport and increasing your level of fitness, is what this is all about,” said Goldenstein.
Adaptive reconditioning promotes an array of activities for recovering warriors that encourages physical and emotional recovery.
“Staying active in sports helps me to forget my physical limitations,” said Goldenstein. “My disability doesn’t define me.”
“The Warrior Games were originally created for rehabilitation. Regardless of what point of their rehab they are in, it helps them - it keeps them active, it keeps them in the fight. It gives them confidence and the drive to continue pushing within their limits,” said Goldenstein. “Especially as Soldiers, we are very competitive by nature. Adaptive sports allows them to progress and succeed ... They realize they can do things they didn’t think they could before they came here.”
The Warrior Games, although a competition against other military branches, is a venue for these warriors to continue their rehabilitation, stay competitive with their peers, and build lasting bonds. Team Army, which competed against teams from the Marine Corps, Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command, and the British Armed Forces, won the coveted Chairman’s Cup, which is awarded to the top overall performing service branch.
“For us [Reserve Soldiers] it’s a little different because we aren’t in the military culture every day,” said Goldenstein. “I am so proud of them. For all that they achieved here in the games and overall in their recovery.”
The placements of the six Army Reserve Soldiers:
Spc. Sydney Davis, a Parker, Colorado native, won medals in the following events:
• Gold – Volleyball, as a member of Team Army
• Gold – Women Shot Put Standing 6.0, with a distance of 10.07 meters
• Gold – Women Discus Throw Standing 6.0, with a distance of 32.93 meters
• Gold – Archery (Team Recurve)
Sgt. 1st Sam Goldenstein, a Kansas City, Missouri, native, won medals in the following events:
• Gold – Women’s 400-Meter Dash, with a time of 1 minute, 15.72 seconds
• Gold – Women’s 800-Mter Run, with a time of 2 minutes, 57.94 seconds
• Gold – Women’s 1,500-Meter Run, with a time of 6 minutes, 5.04 seconds
• Gold – 20-Kilometer Cycling, Upright C4.5 and C6 Female category, with a time of 37 minutes, 43.24 seconds.
• Silver – Women’s 200-Meter Dash, with a time of 33.31 seconds.
Sgt. Colten Harms, a Britt, Iowa, native, won gold medals in the following events:
• Gold – Men Shot Put Standing 6.0, with a distance of 14.61 meters
• Gold – Men Discus Throw Standing 6.0, with a distance of 43.26 meters
• Gold – Archery (Team Compound)
• Bronze – Archery (Compound).
Spc. Chasity “Chas” Kuczer, a Seymour, Wisconsin, native, a won gold medals in the following events:
• Gold – Women Shot Put Seated 6.0, with a distance of 7.31 meters
• Gold – Women Discus Throw Seated 6.0, with a distance of 18.18 meters
• Gold – Archery (Compound)
• Gold – Archery (Team Compound)
• Silver – Women 50-Meter Backstroke 6.0 Multi-Class
Sgt. Kawaiola Nahale, a Honolulu, native, won medals in the following events:
• Gold – Women 100-Meter Freestyle 6.0 Multi-Class
• Silver – Women 50-Meter Backstroke 6.0 Multi-Class
• Silver – Women 50-Meter Breaststroke 6.0 Multi-Class
• Bronze – Women 50-Meter Freestyle 6.0 Multi-Class
Staff Sgt. Zedrik Pitts, a Birmingham, Alabama, native, won medals in the following events:
• Gold – Men’s 100-Meter Dash, with a time of 11.96 seconds
• Gold – Men’s 200-Meter Dash, with a time of 25.95 seconds
• Gold – Men’s 400-Meter Dash, with a time of 1 minute, 21 seconds
• Gold – Mixed 4x100-Meter Relay, with a time of 48.72 seconds
• Gold – 30-Kilometer Cycling, Upright C5 Male category, with a time of 49 minutes, 20.55 seconds.
The Army Reserve’s mission is to provide trained, equipped, and ready Soldiers and cohesive units to meet global requirements across the full range of military operations. It consists of approximately 200,000 highly-skilled members in 148 career fields providing life-saving and life-sustaining forces for Joint Force operations. For more information about the Army Reserve, visit http://www.usar.army.mil/Pages/default.aspx
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 07.02.2015 15:10 |
| Story ID: | 168973 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VA, US |
| Hometown: | BIRMINGHAM, AL, US |
| Hometown: | BRITT, IA, US |
| Hometown: | HONOLULU, HI, US |
| Hometown: | KANSAS CITY, MO, US |
| Hometown: | PARKER, CO, US |
| Hometown: | SEYMOUR, WI, US |
| Web Views: | 188 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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