Photo By Capt. James Kim | Sgt. 1st Class Heather Moran, 3rd left, represented the 364th ESC in the 2017 DoD...... read more read more
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Chicago – U.S. Army Reserve Sgt. 1st Class Heather Moran, a native of Seattle, Wash., and a medical readiness NCO with the 364th Expeditionary Sustainment Command (ESC) in Marysville, won two silver medals for Team Army during the 2017 Department of Defense Warrior Games, an adaptive sports competition for wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans participating in eight sporting events in Chicago June 30-July 8, 2017.
Being back from the Warrior Games only a few days, one could feel the excitement and joy she felt from where she had the opportunity to showcase her competitive edge, develop lasting relationships and heal, both physically and mentally.
Moran, with a permanent disability in her left hand, participated in four events: shot put, discus throw, cycling, and rifle shooting. She won silver in both shot put and discus throw, 4th place for cycling and 7th place for shooting in the prone position and 6th place for standing. She was 0.4 meters away from winning gold in the discus throw.
She began her journey at the Warrior Transition Battalion at Joint Base Lewis-McChord where they required patients 250 hours of adaptive sports per week offering a range of sports. What was supposed to be casual exercise, led her into signing up for regional time trials and then national time trials where she won silver in recumbent cycling and gold for both shot put and discus throw, which put her into one of 40 spots for Team Army in the 2017 Warrior Games based on their professionalism, team spirit and event performances.
When asked what motivated her, she said, “My team. We are all doing this together and we all have different issues. Whether they’re bi-lateral amputees, PTSD, blind, missing an arm, whatever their issues are, we are a team.”
For the Warrior Games, Moran received a recumbent bicycle from the VA, which she dedicated six to seven grueling days per week cycling for 30-40 miles a day. She credits the adaptive sports program at the WTB, which helped her focus on something positive, and kept her mind off the things that she couldn’t do, which gave her a sense of accomplishment.
When asked what her plan was for the future, she responded, “I start training today. Regional time trials are coming up in November and I want to be on the team again. This time I want to add more, and if my knees let me, I want to try for the 100-200 meter dash and backstroke swimming.”
Moran is also a resident nurse with more than 20 years experience and will also continue her Army career by pursing a commission. Her advice for soldiers was, “There is no limit to what you can do, it doesn't matter what disability you’re experiencing. You’ll have support and there’s ways to accomplish the goals you want. Adapt and overcome, that’s what we do.”
Approximately 265 athletes representing teams from the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force and Special Operations Command, as well as athletes from international partner nations, the United Kingdom Armed Forces and the Austrian Defense Force, participated in the Warrior Games.
| Date Taken: | 07.11.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 07.12.2017 11:21 |
| Story ID: | 240870 |
| Location: | MARYSVILLE, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 182 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
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