Courtesy Photo | U.S. Army Veteran Sgt. Brandi Evans, from Denver, Colorado, closes in on passing...... read more read more
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By Marlon J. Martin
Office of the U.S. Army Surgeon General
WEST POINT, N.Y. (June 16, 2016) – U.S. Army Veteran Sgt. Brandi Evans is making her debut in the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games.
Evans, who served 10 years in the Army as a healthcare specialist, is among the 45 U.S. Army wounded, ill and injured athletes selected to represent Team Army in the DoD Warrior Games hosted here at the United States Military Academy, June 15-21.
She is thrilled to be participating in the ‘Games,’ and she views this opportunity as a way of staying connected with the Army and keeping fit. She is competing in track (wheelchair racing), cycling (upright) and swimming events, and is an alternate on the wheelchair basketball team.
“I’m glad they picked me; I’m glad to be part of this team,” said Evans. “We’re competing individually and trying to win medals, but it’s not about that. It’s all about the team and the help we provide each other. For what some of us lack, other teammates are able to fill in and aid in lifting our spirits,” said Evans, who is currently the training coordinator at the Fort Bliss, Texas, Warrior Transition Battalion.
“I think we’ll be a good team,” added the Denver, Colorado, native who now resides in El Paso, Texas, with her husband and three children – all of whom will be cheering for her in the stands.
Explaining how her journey here began, Evans said, “As soon as I asked my battalion commander if Veterans could participate, he said, ‘You’re going to Valor Games, Ms. Evans.”’
“From that day on, I’ve been called ‘The Athlete,’” she laughed.
Evans signed up for cycling, and was among the WTB athletes sent to participate in the inaugural Southwest Valor Games, which brings together disabled veterans and wounded, ill or injured service members for three days of Paralympic sport competition. According to Evans, Valor Games helped her prepare for the Army Trials.
Although Evans was new to competing in adaptive sports, she has always been athletic. While she has fond memories of playing volleyball, basketball and running track in high school, her life changed drastically in 2003 after she was involved in an auto-pedestrian accident.
I fractured my left hip and my right knee; I've had six total knee surgeries which resulted in a full knee replacement, and I've had three revisions on my knee since that knee replacement with the last surgery being in 2013, along with lower back injuries sustained on active duty," explained Evans. She admitted that she didn’t want to get out the Army.
“I had a hard time with the accident itself,” said Evans. “It took an emotional and physical toll on me, and it was very stressful for me to be in physical therapy for 14 months straight and trying to learn how to walk again. I know now that the adaptive sports and reconditioning program is something I would've needed. If this program had existed back when I was getting out, I definitely would've been involved 10 years ago instead of today."
"When I got out, it was before the WTBs were established,” continued Evans. “The Soldiers who went to medical didn't get the adaptive reconditioning program. The programs that we have now for the Soldiers in transition are amazing. Adaptive reconditioning came along with the WTBs, and I see now in our unit that it helps a lot of Soldiers with their physical and emotional well-being. It's part of their key success in the transition from the Army and back into civilian life.”
Evans is pleased with the progress the Army has made in adaptive reconditioning. She enjoys helping Soldiers, and is thankful for such events as the DoD Warrior Games.
Her coach is impressed by her performance, and he, too, feels she will continue to do well in adaptive sports.
“What I love about Brandi is that she’s willing to learn,” said Saul Mendoza, her wheelchair track coach. “Wheelchair track is real difficult, not only because the sport is hard to push, run and move around but also because the wheelchair technique is pretty hard and you must have a big commitment to sit in the racing chair.”
“What Brandi has is an amazing personality for this sport,” continued Mendoza, who said Evans would compete in the 100, 200, 400 and 1500-meter events. These chairs are painful just to sit in and use the gloves. I’ve been working with her, and it gives me a lot of confidence to see that she can handle the pain and she loves it.”
| Date Taken: | 06.16.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2016 14:47 |
| Story ID: | 201815 |
| Location: | WEST POINT, NY, US |
| Web Views: | 273 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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