Nov 06, 2012
More than 20 wounded warriors will converge on CrossFit Rubicon in Vienna, Va., this Saturday for the first-ever Working Wounded Games. Hosted in conjunction CrossFit Walter Reed and volunteers from other metro area CrossFit affiliates, the Working Wounded Games will allow veterans with combat-related disabilities to compete in an open-style competition that will benefit two new wounded warrior charities. The VFW is proud to serve as an inaugural sponsor for the event, which coincides with the 237th birthday of the Marine Corps and Veterans Day.
“I know first-hand the physical challenges our heroes face when they return home,” said VFW National Commander John E. Hamilton, a triple Purple Heart recipient from Vietnam. “The VFW is proud to support the games and the wounded athletes competing this Saturday, and the new programs that will help wounded warriors discover new ways to stay fit, while reclaiming their independence and a sense of accomplishment.”
The Working Wounded Games kick off at 8 a.m., Saturday, Nov. 10., and are open to the public. There is no cost to attend, but a $5 donation would be greatly appreciated. Proceeds from the event will go to benefit Team Racing 4 Veterans and Boulder Crest Retreat for Wounded Veterans. For full details about the Working Wounded Games and directions, click here.
Team R4V is a non-profit that seeks to support and empower veterans throughout the rehabilitation process by offering personal training assistance, financial assistance for gym memberships and competition entrance fees. Boulder Crest Retreat is an expansive facility currently under construction in Bluemont, Va., which plans to offer a first-class rural sanctuary for veterans and their loved ones to enjoy free of charge.
VFW Washington Office staff will be on hand at CrossFit Rubicon to answer questions about the advocacy and support services available to veterans through the VFW. Visit the VFW booth to learn more about how the VFW can help you navigate the VA claims process, sign up to receive the Washington Weekly eNewsletter, and enter for a chance to win a VFW “No One Does More For Veterans” t-shirt.
In 2010, several CrossFit coaches from the Washington Metro Area who also served in the U.S. military came up with the unique idea to offer free CrossFit workouts to wounded warriors recuperating at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Over the past two years, the program has developed into an official CrossFit affiliate, CrossFit Walter Reed, with a dedicated facility at the new National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Though dozens of wounded warriors have rediscovered their passion for physical fitness and personal accomplishment through CrossFit Walter Reed, many must find an affiliate back home once they transition off of active duty. This is where Team R4V hopes to make a difference by allowing wounded veterans to continue their training regimen at a local CrossFit affiliate.
CrossFit is a fitness philosophy designed to build strength, endurance and mobility through a regimen of constantly varied, functional movements performed at high intensity. CrossFit gyms usually foster cohesion among members who perform the “Workout of the Day,” or WOD, together in an effort to push one another to reach fitness goals.
The intensity of WODs and camaraderie among CrossFit athletes has drawn many service members and veterans to CrossFit gyms from coast to coast. Although WODs are intense, they are also infinitely scalable to the skill level of individual participants, making CrossFit an ideal fitness regimen for wounded warriors regardless of the injuries they have sustained.
To learn more about Team R4V, click here.
To learn more about Boulder Crest Retreat, click here.
To learn more about CrossFit Walter Reed, click here.