Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class David Finley | CHICAGO (July 1, 2017)--Juli Eigenheer and her son, Joshua Jablon, both credit the...... read more read more
Juli Eigenheer, a 2017 Department of Defense Warrior Games volunteer, gets chills when she thinks of the impact the event has had on her son, Joshua Jablon.
When she watched him leave for Marine Corps boot camp, four days after his 2007 high school graduation, she never imagined she’d eventually be in Chicago supporting the games as a volunteer, and supporting Jablon, who is now a Team SOCOM coach.
“I really think Warrior Games has given him a reason to remain on this Earth,” Eigenheer said.
In 2009, Jablon sustained shrapnel wounds and a traumatic brain injury (TBI) while serving in Iraq with Marine Corps Combat Logistics Battalions 3 and 4. After years of receiving treatment from the Marine Corps, Jablon was medically discharged in 2012. Eigenheer said after her son’s discharge, he had lost the light in his eyes that she’d been so accustomed to seeing since his childhood.
“He had such a hard time for about a year and a half after returning home from Iraq,” she said. “I really didn’t know what would happen.”
In 2011, Eigenheer’s fears were put at ease. Jablon was contacted by the DoD Warrior Games to compete as an athlete, and he accepted. From there, his life took a dramatic turn for the better.
“When I came back from Iraq, I felt used up—broken. Then Warrior Games came along and showed me that I am worth something to the world and there’s still stuff out there for me to do. It made me want to live my life again,” Jablon said.
Jablon competed in discus, shot put, and various track events during the 2011, 2013 and 2014 games. Being among other wounded warriors revitalized him; he felt understood, excited, and most importantly, alive again. He soon felt it was time to return to school, and when he did, he couldn’t imagine his life without the games and his fellow wounded warriors who he had grown to love.
He reached out to the Warrior Games’ organizers and asked to become a mentor or coach, and was accepted. This year, he plans to coach Team SOCOM to victory.
“When I come home, my mom can tell I am refreshed and happier. It’s more of how I used to be,” he said. “[Her support] has been nonstop since I started competing.”
Eigenheer said she volunteered in support of her son and in support of all wounded warriors. And she’s not alone.
In partnership with the American Red Cross, the Warrior Games accepted 600 volunteers to fill 1,100 positions during the eight-day event. Eigenheer volunteered as a venue guide and will spend the day with her son during the field event next week. As a mom, she said, it was easy to support the event.
“Warrior Games helps the athletes set goals that they can accomplish, and when they do, they feel good—it also puts them in touch with people they can relate to,” Eigenheer said. “As a mom, my son can talk to me all he wants and I will listen, but I can’t relate to what he has been through, what he’s seen.”
The combination of the support from his fellow wounded warriors and his mom’s support, friendship and understanding have had a profound effect on Jablon’s life.
“I can honestly credit Warrior Games with saving my life,” he said. “I will do anything that can be done to further this program.”
Learn more about the Department of Defense Warrior Games at DoDWarriorGames.com, like Warrior Games on Facebook, or follow @WarriorGames on Twitter.
| Date Taken: | 07.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.03.2017 16:09 |
| Story ID: | 240030 |
| Location: | CHICAGO, IL, US |
| Hometown: | MADISON, WI, US |
| Hometown: | MANKATO, MN, US |
| Web Views: | 245 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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