Wounded Soldiers Praise Paralympic Sport

(ATR) Wounded soldiers say Paralympic sport allows them to regain their sense of self-worth.

"I think sports has made me come back to where I am," Lance Cpl. Christian Richardson tells Around the Rings.

Richardson was a member of the Royal Danish Guards in 2009 when, on his last patrol in Afghanistan’s Helmand Province, an improvised explosive device detonated, destroying his legs.

"A lot of doors closed when I was hit, but now I see a lot of doors open, there are a lot of opportunities," he told ATR.

"Sport has always been a big thing in my life.

"Of course, when you’re doing sports, you gain self-esteem. I’m more happy about myself, I’m more glad about myself."

Richardson says he has learned other new sports, including hand cycling and kayaking.

Lt. Bradley Snyder of the U.S. echoes Richardson, saying Paralympic sport allowed him to regain his sense of dignity and self-worth.

Snyder, with the U.S. Navy, was blinded as a result of an IED attack in 2011.

"Blindness was just a new problem-solving challenge to me. I prided myself on my ability to do that," he said when asked by ATR. "Once I reconciled the fact that I wasn't going to be able to see again, I just saw it as a new challenge and a new barrier to move past.

"That's how I moved forward."

The organizations backing both soldiers speak of a national imperative to treat the wounded.

Rune Oland Larsen, director of Denmark’s rehabilitation program, says the Danish Olympic and Paralympic Committees as well as defense ministry are "strongly" committed to the program, with the elite sport aspect taking a secondary role.

"They see a lot of qualities in sport as rehabilitation," Larsen said. "It’s pretty important for them."

Charlie Huebner, chief of U.S. Paralympics, seemed to swell up with pride when asked about his country's Wounded Warriors project.

"The military and veteran piece is critical for us, and we have great partnerships with our government, the Department of Veteran Affairs and the Department of Defense," Huebner said.

"The reason this movement exists is [that] it’s very personal for us," he said. "We have been asked to play a leadership role by the Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of Defense and congressional leaders in the United States. The U.S. Olympic Committee's expertise in physical disabilities and in multiple sports made it an obvious choice to lead the charge of enhancing the program," he added.

"There's a great need in the United States, not just for injured service members and veterans, but for kids with physical disabilities to have local community programming to be able to simply participate in physical activity."

Snyder won two gold medals and a silver in swimming at the London Paralympics. Richardson did not compete in London, but he is setting his sights on the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.

"It’s a hard competition," he said.

Richardson said making the Paralympics may not even be the main goal for his fellow soldiers in the Danish rehabilitation program.

"The main thing, of course, for a lot of people is not going for the Paralympics, but using sport and getting back to an active life. I think everyone would say this project is good."

The Paralympic Games have a history with soldiers. The Stoke Mandeville Games, the precursor of the Paralympics , were founded in 1948 for World War II veterans being treated for spinal cord injuries.

Speaking after winning a gold medal, Snyder was able to keep his sport career in perspective. In the navy, he dismantled bombs.

"It’s a little harder than swimming 400 meters in a pool," he said with a laugh.

Written by Ed Hula III.

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