WEBVTT 00:00.740 --> 00:04.010 dan Dicker with Iz . Mm . Talking 00:04.010 --> 00:06.260 Warrior Games today with across native 00:06.640 --> 00:08.760 Shanda Games . Shonda , how are you ? 00:11.340 --> 00:13.507 I'm just fine this morning . Now , are 00:13.507 --> 00:15.396 you in Colorado Springs currently 00:18.340 --> 00:20.507 correct . I'm at the Air Force Academy 00:20.690 --> 00:22.801 located at the North side of Colorado 00:22.801 --> 00:24.690 Springs . And you in the midst of 00:24.690 --> 00:26.523 training for the Warrior Games ? 00:28.640 --> 00:30.650 Uh , correct . The Warrior Games 00:30.650 --> 00:32.980 actually started kicked off on monday 00:32.980 --> 00:35.490 with opening with the first lady Obama 00:35.500 --> 00:37.667 and we started competition yesterday . 00:37.840 --> 00:40.118 So what does it take to train ? I mean , 00:40.118 --> 00:42.560 I saw the entire itinerary of things 00:42.560 --> 00:44.940 that you would be doing . How much 00:44.940 --> 00:47.430 training time do you have to prepare 00:47.430 --> 00:48.430 yourself ? 00:51.040 --> 00:53.680 Oh , I train about 20 hours a week 00:53.790 --> 00:55.960 between the pool and track and field . 00:56.740 --> 00:59.270 And we've done clinics throughout the 00:59.270 --> 01:03.230 year to get pointers on 01:03.240 --> 01:05.560 my swimming technique and on chat , put 01:05.560 --> 01:07.880 in a racing wheelchair and I was 01:07.880 --> 01:11.190 fortunate enough to be able to go up 01:11.200 --> 01:15.140 and see some olympic hopefuls and they 01:15.140 --> 01:18.010 gave me some pointers and my swimming 01:18.010 --> 01:20.370 techniques and they also came down to 01:20.370 --> 01:22.850 watch me for the texas regional Games . 01:23.640 --> 01:25.862 Now , how many different events are you 01:25.862 --> 01:27.750 slated to be participating in ? 01:30.240 --> 01:33.440 I will be doing a total 01:33.450 --> 01:37.100 of nine events . So you 01:37.100 --> 01:40.460 train 20 hours a week for nine events . 01:40.470 --> 01:42.359 How do you fit that all into your 01:42.359 --> 01:46.040 schedule ? Well , since I'm 01:46.040 --> 01:50.020 retired . Um , being an athlete is 01:50.030 --> 01:53.320 my schedule at this point . So talk 01:53.320 --> 01:55.431 about the people , talk about some of 01:55.431 --> 01:57.653 the people you're going to be competing 01:57.653 --> 01:59.876 with that . Do you know them ? Have you 01:59.876 --> 02:03.670 served time with them ? Um , the , The 02:03.670 --> 02:05.559 army , it was allowed to bring 50 02:05.559 --> 02:07.448 soldiers . Each branch brought 50 02:07.448 --> 02:09.670 soldiers to the Warrior Games . There's 02:09.670 --> 02:12.810 220 soldiers here , um , including a 02:12.820 --> 02:16.620 British um , team and the 50 02:16.620 --> 02:19.800 soldiers that are here for the army , I 02:19.800 --> 02:21.911 didn't know them prior to the clinics 02:21.911 --> 02:24.330 that happened throughout the year , but 02:24.330 --> 02:27.130 we are really close knit group now 02:27.140 --> 02:29.307 between traveling together for clinics 02:29.307 --> 02:31.362 and then being up here for two weeks 02:31.362 --> 02:33.760 and we communicate back and forth um , 02:33.770 --> 02:36.740 in between time and I am lucky enough 02:36.750 --> 02:40.450 to have for my teammates from my swim 02:40.450 --> 02:44.160 team actually made the , the 02:44.540 --> 02:46.730 Cut for the warrior games with me . So 02:46.730 --> 02:49.790 for 14 , 4 of us are from the same team . 02:49.800 --> 02:51.578 So it makes a little bit easier 02:51.578 --> 02:53.356 sometimes to be able to lean on 02:53.356 --> 02:56.920 somebody that , you know , Yes , 02:56.930 --> 02:59.580 it is great to have my , my home swim 02:59.580 --> 03:02.470 team here with me and we know each 03:02.470 --> 03:06.200 other really well and um , there there 03:06.200 --> 03:08.990 to pump you up and correct anything if 03:08.990 --> 03:11.360 you're doing if you're off that day . 03:11.540 --> 03:13.920 And I'm giving you the encouragement to 03:13.930 --> 03:15.970 try new things and to push a little 03:15.970 --> 03:19.970 harder and we're a family . That's 03:19.970 --> 03:22.780 the best way to describe the 50 of us 03:22.790 --> 03:25.210 is that we are a family , we watch each 03:25.210 --> 03:27.510 other's backs , we make sure we have 03:27.510 --> 03:31.010 everything we need and encourage each 03:31.010 --> 03:33.770 other last night was sitting volleyball 03:34.220 --> 03:37.660 and the noise level in the gym was , 03:38.240 --> 03:42.100 you could count how high it was . It 03:42.100 --> 03:44.156 was just incredible how much support 03:44.156 --> 03:46.211 there was for our men and women that 03:46.211 --> 03:49.030 were on the floor playing volleyball 03:49.210 --> 03:51.340 after the , after the Games are all 03:51.340 --> 03:53.810 said and done and some go , there are 03:53.810 --> 03:57.530 certain ways will you keep in contact 03:57.540 --> 03:59.651 with some of those that you ah , that 03:59.651 --> 04:03.570 you played with ? Oh , yes , we , 04:03.580 --> 04:06.540 we get very close and a lot of us would 04:06.540 --> 04:10.280 like to um , we have to try it again 04:10.290 --> 04:13.740 for next year's Warrior Games and um we 04:13.740 --> 04:15.990 will be in contact , working on 04:16.000 --> 04:19.530 training and going to clinics 04:19.540 --> 04:21.596 and to try to make the Warrior games 04:21.596 --> 04:23.250 next year . Plus , we will , 04:23.740 --> 04:25.851 everybody's goal here is to be in the 04:25.851 --> 04:28.360 paralympics , and so we will be doing 04:28.360 --> 04:31.040 paralympic events . Uh , most of my 04:31.040 --> 04:33.520 team will be doing in the Endeavour 04:33.520 --> 04:36.650 Games in Oklahoma in june , so I'll be 04:36.650 --> 04:38.930 seeing them shortly after the Warrior 04:38.930 --> 04:41.097 Games are over Now . This isn't just a 04:41.097 --> 04:42.930 set of games that anybody in the 04:42.930 --> 04:45.810 military can join in . Uh , obviously 04:45.810 --> 04:48.240 the criteria would be wounded ill or 04:48.240 --> 04:50.300 injured soldiers and veterans . Uh , 04:50.310 --> 04:52.366 can you talk about the occurrence in 04:52.366 --> 04:54.700 which , uh , um , you qualified for 04:54.700 --> 04:55.700 these games ? 04:58.140 --> 05:01.520 I received the TV and I was medically 05:01.520 --> 05:04.880 discharged in 2006 and , but the Games 05:04.880 --> 05:07.750 aren't about your disability there , 05:07.760 --> 05:10.160 about your ability to overcome that 05:10.170 --> 05:12.390 disability . You have soldiers here 05:12.390 --> 05:14.670 that are double and triple amputees 05:14.680 --> 05:18.680 that are out swimming or bicycling or 05:18.690 --> 05:20.710 playing sitting volleyball . It's 05:20.710 --> 05:24.010 really inspiring to see such injured 05:25.140 --> 05:28.460 are ill soldiers being able to 05:29.840 --> 05:32.460 having the courage and the strength to 05:32.470 --> 05:35.700 be able to still perform at such a high 05:36.120 --> 05:39.150 level of energy and competition . We 05:39.150 --> 05:41.150 hear a lot about soldiers that come 05:41.150 --> 05:43.140 back that are wounded and then you 05:43.140 --> 05:45.196 don't really hear about much of them 05:45.196 --> 05:47.251 anymore . Are you glad that there is 05:47.251 --> 05:49.400 such a thing as the warrior games to 05:49.410 --> 05:51.410 keep their spirits up and keep them 05:51.410 --> 05:55.040 motivated ? Oh , yes . The warrior 05:55.040 --> 05:57.207 games is so wonderful for the soldiers 05:57.207 --> 05:58.929 that are coming back wounded , 05:58.929 --> 06:01.151 especially the young soldiers . We have 06:01.151 --> 06:03.207 a 21 year old on my swim team , um , 06:03.207 --> 06:06.770 that lost one of his legs over in Iraq 06:06.780 --> 06:09.610 and it changed his life like it would 06:09.620 --> 06:13.320 for any soldier . But because the 06:13.320 --> 06:16.050 Warrior games are there as soon as he 06:16.050 --> 06:18.272 was healed enough , they put them right 06:18.272 --> 06:21.050 into training and um , the army has the 06:21.050 --> 06:24.460 W . T . Um sees which is the wounded 06:24.460 --> 06:28.140 warrior commands and they get them into 06:28.140 --> 06:30.196 adapted sports and showing them that 06:30.196 --> 06:32.970 there's still life to be lived , that 06:32.980 --> 06:35.170 you don't have to give up living just 06:35.170 --> 06:37.337 because you were wounded in combat . I 06:37.337 --> 06:39.448 noticed that you did some training or 06:39.448 --> 06:41.559 the Games are at the olympic training 06:41.559 --> 06:43.670 center there in Colorado Springs just 06:43.670 --> 06:45.448 down the road from where you're 06:45.448 --> 06:47.503 actually at right now . Do they have 06:47.503 --> 06:49.726 any olympic hopefuls training out there 06:49.726 --> 06:51.837 that are watching and helping route . 06:51.837 --> 06:54.490 These soldiers aren't . Yes today . Um 06:54.500 --> 06:56.500 there'll be Olympic hopefuls in the 06:56.500 --> 06:59.160 swimming pool with me . I swim today at 06:59.160 --> 07:03.110 12:00 and they will watch our swim and 07:03.120 --> 07:05.064 talk to us about what it's like to 07:05.064 --> 07:07.280 compete at that level and if they have 07:07.280 --> 07:10.060 any pointers and um , but it's really 07:10.060 --> 07:12.116 nice to meet them . I've met quite a 07:12.116 --> 07:15.950 few back in texas in here that they're 07:15.950 --> 07:18.960 just so encouraging and they are for 07:18.960 --> 07:21.016 being olympic hopefuls . They are in 07:21.016 --> 07:24.480 awe of what the warrior game soldiers 07:24.490 --> 07:28.390 are able to compete and 07:28.400 --> 07:31.820 how like in swimming and that we , how 07:31.820 --> 07:33.987 well we do in the pool . I lived there 07:33.987 --> 07:37.020 for two years um in the Springs and I 07:37.020 --> 07:39.880 know what that entire area has to offer 07:39.890 --> 07:42.057 when you're not training . Do you have 07:42.057 --> 07:44.223 times to go to Manitou Springs and and 07:44.223 --> 07:46.334 and travel around colorado Springs at 07:46.334 --> 07:50.200 all . Last week there was some 07:50.200 --> 07:52.256 opportunity to do some sightseeing , 07:52.280 --> 07:54.502 but this week it's all about our team . 07:54.650 --> 07:57.130 If you are not competing , you were out 07:57.130 --> 08:00.250 supporting your team . Outstanding . So 08:00.260 --> 08:02.340 today , today , when I get done 08:02.340 --> 08:06.230 training , there's um are 08:06.230 --> 08:08.690 treated during the day today and 08:08.690 --> 08:10.579 there'll be wheelchair basketball 08:10.579 --> 08:12.690 tonight . And that is a very exciting 08:12.690 --> 08:14.850 and if people have never seen 08:14.860 --> 08:17.110 wheelchair basketball , I totally 08:17.110 --> 08:19.530 encouraged them to go check out a 08:19.530 --> 08:21.752 wheelchair basketball game because it's 08:21.752 --> 08:23.974 the most exciting sport out there . The 08:23.974 --> 08:26.141 majority of your members are competing 08:26.141 --> 08:28.197 in two events . What made you choose 08:28.197 --> 08:29.197 more than two . 08:32.840 --> 08:36.020 Track and field is considered one 08:36.020 --> 08:38.131 category and swimming is one category 08:39.040 --> 08:42.440 and it was just natural natural for me 08:42.440 --> 08:44.662 to do a wheelchair racer because I'm in 08:44.662 --> 08:48.160 a wheelchair all the time . So it's 08:48.160 --> 08:50.271 just adding one more wheel to a front 08:50.540 --> 08:54.030 of a wheelchair . So and then shot put 08:54.030 --> 08:57.170 wasn't so natural , but I'm up to 08:57.170 --> 08:59.710 trying something new and they found out 08:59.710 --> 09:02.440 at a clinic that I actually do really 09:02.440 --> 09:04.480 well at it . So we added that to my 09:04.480 --> 09:06.480 schedule . Now . This is your first 09:06.480 --> 09:08.702 Warrior Games . Have you heard from the 09:08.702 --> 09:10.258 veterans of the Games yet ? 09:12.940 --> 09:15.051 Um , you know , like usually the ones 09:15.051 --> 09:17.107 that have been , have a team goes to 09:17.107 --> 09:18.940 the Super Bowl or it goes to the 09:18.940 --> 09:21.107 playoffs . Um , you know , the rookies 09:21.107 --> 09:23.440 are the ones that are taught , you know , 09:23.440 --> 09:25.440 you do this , do that , expect it , 09:25.440 --> 09:27.607 expect that . Have you had veterans of 09:27.607 --> 09:27.350 the Warrior Games ? Give me those 09:27.350 --> 09:31.070 speeches . Yes , 09:31.070 --> 09:34.650 we've talked to . But 09:35.040 --> 09:38.530 um , veterans of the Warriors Games 09:38.530 --> 09:40.697 with , there's actually a few soldiers 09:40.697 --> 09:42.863 here that have done all three years of 09:42.863 --> 09:45.160 the Warrior Games and so therefore they 09:45.160 --> 09:48.850 have a lot of good advice in how to 09:48.850 --> 09:52.180 handle the noise level from the crowds 09:52.180 --> 09:55.740 and handle the media and just be able 09:55.740 --> 09:58.380 to train in the long hours and being 09:58.380 --> 10:01.720 able to just enjoy that . We are the 10:01.720 --> 10:05.320 ultimate athletes for the army . Now , 10:05.320 --> 10:07.042 when you're not doing this , I 10:07.042 --> 10:09.620 understand that you established a green 10:09.620 --> 10:12.500 home ranch powered by solar and wind 10:12.500 --> 10:16.470 power . Tell me about that . Um , 10:16.480 --> 10:18.890 my youngest son , which is in college , 10:18.900 --> 10:22.640 um , he is very environmentally , 10:22.650 --> 10:26.100 um , correct Yes . 10:26.110 --> 10:29.360 And when we were getting ready to move , 10:29.370 --> 10:31.910 he wanted to lessen our footprint and 10:31.910 --> 10:35.110 so we bought 15 acres , um , outside , 10:35.120 --> 10:37.176 it's about 20 miles out of Fort Hood 10:37.180 --> 10:39.140 and we decided that we would stay 10:39.140 --> 10:42.100 completely off the grid and our home is 10:42.100 --> 10:45.350 ran with 12 solar panels and wind 10:45.350 --> 10:48.790 generators . We have our own wells and 10:49.180 --> 10:51.347 antiseptics on the property . You ever 10:51.347 --> 10:53.458 had , anybody from the , anybody from 10:53.458 --> 10:55.569 the government asked how you're doing 10:55.569 --> 10:57.680 because that sure sounds like uh , to 10:57.680 --> 10:59.847 save people's energy bills . Everybody 10:59.847 --> 11:01.236 needs to be doing that . 11:02.040 --> 11:05.640 Um , no , people 11:05.640 --> 11:08.050 stop in front of the house and it kind 11:08.050 --> 11:10.420 of looks like dirt , the house is going 11:10.420 --> 11:13.170 to take off and go to Kansas when my 11:13.170 --> 11:15.750 wind generators are going full speed , 11:15.790 --> 11:18.230 there's something to see , but I make 11:18.230 --> 11:21.590 enough power to sustain my , to abstain 11:21.590 --> 11:24.480 the house and it's nice not having 11:24.480 --> 11:26.760 electric bill , that's got to be cool . 11:27.640 --> 11:29.807 Anything you'd like to say back to the 11:29.807 --> 11:32.084 folks here that don't you on the cross . 11:33.340 --> 11:35.396 Um , well there's a lot of Green Bay 11:35.396 --> 11:39.150 packer fans here and we all , 11:39.160 --> 11:42.750 I was home at christmas and I enjoyed 11:42.750 --> 11:44.917 being home at christmas could have had 11:44.917 --> 11:47.340 a little bit more snow and um , my mom 11:47.340 --> 11:50.580 and sister Charlene Duncan and um , 11:50.580 --> 11:52.900 Nicole miller to live there in lacrosse 11:52.900 --> 11:55.011 and hopefully next year they can come 11:55.011 --> 11:57.178 out to colorado Springs and support me 11:57.178 --> 11:59.233 when I make the team next year . And 11:59.233 --> 12:01.122 that was Charlene Duncan and your 12:01.122 --> 12:04.100 sister's name was . What ? Nicole 12:04.100 --> 12:05.960 Miller Miller 12:08.640 --> 12:09.340 familiar 12:12.740 --> 12:15.570 And all my friends from Logan high 12:15.570 --> 12:17.459 school . I've been watching me on 12:17.459 --> 12:19.681 facebook and encouraging to do the best 12:19.681 --> 12:22.700 I came out here already . Anything 12:22.700 --> 12:23.811 you'd like to add . 12:25.840 --> 12:28.040 Uh , no , I can't wait to come home 12:28.040 --> 12:30.262 during the summertime and do like river 12:30.262 --> 12:31.560 fest . All right , 12:33.440 --> 12:34.460 outstanding .