WEBVTT 00:00.230 --> 00:02.670 This is the first call the first call 00:02.680 --> 00:06.160 for event 21 a OK . Walk it down guys . 00:10.270 --> 00:12.440 I was medically retired 13 years ago 00:12.440 --> 00:14.350 from the United States Navy after 00:14.350 --> 00:16.461 serving 20 years in the United States 00:16.461 --> 00:18.239 Navy band in Washington D . C . 00:18.239 --> 00:20.350 Weighing up , split the shoulders and 00:20.350 --> 00:23.520 split . I remember you know , being 00:23.520 --> 00:25.520 really sad and going , oh what am I 00:25.520 --> 00:29.220 gonna do ? Fast 00:29.220 --> 00:31.109 forward ? I'm the adaptive sports 00:31.109 --> 00:33.164 coordinator at walter reed under the 00:33.164 --> 00:35.331 military adaptive sports program . D . 00:35.331 --> 00:37.442 H . A . So we're drinking water so we 00:37.442 --> 00:39.331 stay hydrated because we're gonna 00:39.331 --> 00:41.670 launch in about 15 minutes . So it's a 00:41.670 --> 00:43.640 windy course . It's beautiful and 00:43.640 --> 00:45.807 they'll be both passing each other and 00:45.807 --> 00:47.862 doing our stuff . So we want to keep 00:47.862 --> 00:50.084 our eyes in the boat right ? We want to 00:50.084 --> 00:49.670 stay focused on growing together . 00:49.680 --> 00:51.902 We're moving together as a team right ? 00:51.902 --> 00:54.290 Growing in the eight today . Uh I guess 00:54.290 --> 00:56.490 we got our race in a little over an 00:56.490 --> 00:58.490 hour . This is our last race of the 00:58.490 --> 01:00.546 season . Looking forward to having a 01:00.546 --> 01:02.712 good race out here . I found rowing as 01:02.712 --> 01:04.879 a sport to help me with non impact and 01:04.879 --> 01:06.823 something that was very similar to 01:06.823 --> 01:09.101 being in the military because his team , 01:09.101 --> 01:11.101 the crew is an incredibly difficult 01:11.101 --> 01:12.990 sport . You have to be in perfect 01:12.990 --> 01:15.212 synchronicity with your teammates . You 01:15.212 --> 01:17.434 have to have incredibly strong legs and 01:17.434 --> 01:19.546 arms and you go in there and you work 01:19.546 --> 01:21.768 hard and you get off and you go , oh my 01:21.768 --> 01:23.990 goodness , that was a lot . But I had a 01:23.990 --> 01:26.101 fun time doing it . This is Jeff . He 01:26.101 --> 01:28.323 is one of our bed leaders . He's a army 01:28.323 --> 01:29.990 veteran , what it really is a 01:29.990 --> 01:31.768 phenomenal sport for developing 01:31.768 --> 01:33.879 teamwork and overall individual depth 01:33.879 --> 01:36.101 of character . This is a place not only 01:36.101 --> 01:38.323 for recovery for when you're out on the 01:38.323 --> 01:40.490 water , but also creating community no 01:40.490 --> 01:42.657 matter where you go , it's very hard . 01:42.657 --> 01:44.879 A lot of times veterans to integrate in 01:44.879 --> 01:48.390 into community , you sticking me 01:48.390 --> 01:49.810 up , 01:52.240 --> 01:55.680 get on there , help me help me , 01:57.250 --> 02:00.170 help me all veteran up realizing that 02:00.170 --> 02:02.392 there's other people dealing with other 02:02.392 --> 02:04.559 situations but they're still making it 02:04.559 --> 02:06.614 happen . That was kind of , that was 02:06.614 --> 02:08.837 eye opening for me because it helps you 02:08.837 --> 02:10.948 transition to being able to work with 02:10.948 --> 02:12.837 others at the same time have that 02:12.837 --> 02:15.059 underlying work ethic as a veteran , as 02:15.059 --> 02:17.226 a service member and this , this helps 02:17.226 --> 02:19.392 equip life skills , social skills in a 02:19.392 --> 02:21.392 lot of ways you might not initially 02:21.392 --> 02:23.503 think get out and enjoy the beauty of 02:23.503 --> 02:25.559 nature , the beauty of team spirit , 02:25.559 --> 02:27.781 the confidence that comes with it as an 02:27.781 --> 02:29.781 individual , all of which is voting 02:29.781 --> 02:31.892 well for that transition that happens 02:31.892 --> 02:33.837 is someone continues on with their 02:33.837 --> 02:36.170 career , although with some adjustments , 02:36.170 --> 02:39.000 last row of the season , No limits in 02:39.000 --> 02:41.890 212 , no limits . Let's 02:41.890 --> 02:44.750 go 02:45.570 --> 02:48.210 rowing for me is a peaceful place . You 02:48.210 --> 02:50.432 know , we all have our struggles and we 02:50.432 --> 02:52.543 all have our different dynamics and I 02:52.543 --> 02:54.488 struggle with that every day , not 02:54.488 --> 02:56.599 wanting just to go isolate and I love 02:56.599 --> 02:58.654 the rowing community because it does 02:58.654 --> 03:00.710 offer that place for it to be a real 03:00.710 --> 03:02.710 community . Got me outside , got me 03:02.710 --> 03:01.940 doing something . I didn't know that I 03:01.940 --> 03:03.920 was capable of doing . It helps me 03:03.930 --> 03:06.630 every day . I'm like wow I was really 03:06.630 --> 03:09.200 sad yesterday and this has given me 03:09.200 --> 03:12.090 that that reminder of people and 03:12.100 --> 03:14.230 friends and family that you that you 03:14.230 --> 03:16.341 know forever . Yeah . I've definitely 03:16.341 --> 03:18.452 made some pretty good friends in this 03:18.452 --> 03:20.397 program and it's always fun seeing 03:20.397 --> 03:22.740 familiar faces as well . So when you're 03:22.740 --> 03:24.684 going through all your medical out 03:24.684 --> 03:26.796 processing it's very hard . It's very 03:26.796 --> 03:29.000 emotional . It's very scary and I wish 03:29.000 --> 03:30.944 that I had been more involved with 03:30.944 --> 03:32.889 these types of programs when I was 03:32.889 --> 03:34.944 getting out because it isn't an easy 03:34.944 --> 03:36.833 transition if you're stuck in the 03:36.833 --> 03:36.810 hospital once you feel like you're not 03:36.820 --> 03:39.280 capable of doing anything or you're not 03:39.280 --> 03:41.502 gonna be able to live your life the way 03:41.502 --> 03:43.669 you did before you give this program a 03:43.669 --> 03:45.836 chance because I think it'll be pretty 03:45.836 --> 03:47.891 eye opening for you and you know you 03:47.891 --> 03:47.850 might make some friends of the process 03:47.850 --> 03:50.640 here . So alright everybody , we've got 03:50.640 --> 03:52.696 a nice walk up the ramp so let's get 03:52.696 --> 03:55.930 out quickly and get this boat out . We 03:55.940 --> 03:58.051 started as an eight and it is a six . 03:58.051 --> 04:00.270 We had a seat that broke but it was 04:00.270 --> 04:02.437 pretty good . It felt it felt good out 04:02.437 --> 04:05.900 there . It uh everybody still pulled it 04:05.900 --> 04:09.010 together despite that adversity but it 04:09.010 --> 04:11.660 was good we adapted so 04:12.690 --> 04:14.857 so I'm really glad to see how with D . 04:14.857 --> 04:17.079 H . A . And the programs that are being 04:17.079 --> 04:19.134 offered for military to after sports 04:19.134 --> 04:21.357 and all the service programs . And it's 04:21.357 --> 04:21.190 really awesome to see that . And you 04:21.190 --> 04:23.523 know when you get out , you aren't just , 04:23.523 --> 04:24.090 you aren't alone .