News From the Cause
Hospital corpsman overcomes injuries en route to Warrior Games: (THE GLOBE, CAMP LEJEUNE, NC)
May 09, 2011
Petty Officer 1st Class, Justin Rose, a hospital corpsman, doesn’t remember much from the improvised explosive device attack that injured him in Afghanistan, July 2009. Just two things - Santa Claus and cucumbers.
“We got hit in a farm and a couple of my Marines picked some cucumbers and brought me some to eat,” he said. “Then, the Santa Claus came from one of my corpsmen who was responding to me, who dropped his bag down through the hatch and then came down the hatch. And I thought, ‘Oh, Santa Claus.’”
Since then, Rose has been battling invisible enemies as he suffered traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder from the attack. But, he has been able to rise above it and come out stronger than before.
That is just one of the reasons why he was selected for the second consecutive year by the Navy and Coast Guard to represent them at the Warrior Games, which will be held at the United States Olympic Training Facility in Colorado Springs, Colo., May 16 through 21.
The Warrior Games, previously known as the Wounded Warrior Games, take place every May and hosts members from the Marine Corps, Army, Air Force and Navy/Coast Guard (they are combined into one team) as they compete in sports ranging from shot put and swimming to sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.
The Navy/Coast Guard teams did well last year, considering they only had 20 members. In comparison, the Marine Corps, which won the most medals, had around 200.
“We’re the underdogs,” said Rose. “So we expect that we’re not going to pull in the most medals … The nice thing about (this year) is, last year, we didn’t have any training camps, no equipment to practice with (beforehand) … The first time (that) we met any of our teammates was the day we got there … We did pretty well (last year), so this year I think we’ll do (better). We’ve had a couple training camps, we’re well prepared, we know our teammates. This year, we’re going to be very surprising to the other services.”
Rose will be competing in air rifle and pistol (both standing and prone), discus and sitting volleyball this year and hopes that he can bring back a medal, though he admitted he is not expecting to. In his words, “If I bring home a medal, yay. If I don’t, oh well. But, I’m there for more of the experience.”
What Rose is also looking forward to is pushing himself again this year against some of his peers. Rose has been practicing with an air rifle and pistol at home recently, which the team provided him, much to the displeasure of his Yorkshire terrier, Winston.
“It scares the (heck) out of him, to be honest,” he said. “But he usually gets over it pretty quickly.”
Rose said that the event last year help puts thing in perspective and that, even if you are hurt, injured or seriously ill, the world isn’t ending. While competing against people who have no arms or legs, it’s hard to feel down on yourself as you watch these injured athletes continue to compete at the highest level. click here to view more
