IAVA Member Veteran, Paralympian Testifies Before Congress

Today, IAVA Member Veteran and Paralympian Carlos Leon testified before the House Veterans Affairs Committee at a hearing focusing on meeting the needs of injured veterans in the military paralympic program.  Read his testimony below or watch the webcast! [1] (Start: 01:14:00)

Chairman Filner and Ranking Member Buyer, thank you for the opportunity to testify on behalf of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA). IAVA is the nation’s first and largest non-partisan, nonprofit organization representing veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Chairman Filner and Chairwoman Herseth Sandlin, I am especially grateful to both of you for the work you and your committee did last year to support the Military Paralympic Program.

America’s newest generation of heroes are surviving injuries unthinkable in previous conflicts and, as a result, facing serious challenges upon returning home. Thankfully, members of Congress have been forward thinking and supported and funded programs like the Military Paralympic Program that can give these heroes hope and health through athletic training and competition.

I was nineteen years old when I deployed to Iraq. After returning home from a successful tour I had a chance to relax a little while before my unit moved to Camp Pendleton. I was stationed in Kaneohe Bay Hawaii where we took advantage of the beaches and weather while we were still there. On June 18, 2005 I was at the beach, a day that would change my life forever.  I was the first to go in the water, while my friends remained on the shore.  As I jogged slowly into the water I turned to them and told them to hurry up.

Before I turned back, I dove forward and hit a coral rock head-on. My neck broke instantly and I was immediately left motionless in the water. I received a laceration across the top of my head that needed 15 staples to close up.

Soon thereafter, in the hospital, I got the news from the doctor: I was paralyzed from the neck down. I stayed in Hawaii until I was stable enough to fly and then chose to have therapy at the VA medical center in Miami, Florida, where I would be closest to my family.

Early in my therapy, one of my phenomenal therapists came to my room and started to talk to me about sports. I did NOT think I could play sports again – I thought it was beyond my new life in a wheelchair. But learning that that might not be in the case, early on in my injury, was key to my recovery.  After learning about this opportunity, I signed up for a military sports camp in San Diego California. The program was a week long and they showed us the different sports we could play in our chairs.

It was more than a positive experience, it opened my eyes to a different world-one that I wanted to be a part of.

I was told I needed to train in order to qualify for a competition early the next year. I couldn’t wait to get started. When I got home, I was ready to start but I had absolutely no idea how to get started. The best I could do was just to make sure I was at least fit. So I began working out at the local gym. As the time went on, I got stronger and stronger. Not only did going to the Military Paralympic Program give me something to shoot for, it made my quality of life much better. Instead of being at home, bored I was out and about living my life again.

There are great benefits to the Military Paralympic Program. Health is especially important to a wheelchair user. If I gained weight it would be harder to push myself around.  If I was always sick I’d be in and out of the hospital. Training increased my chances on being a Paralympian and improved my physical and mental health.

After a year of training it was finally time to compete. And, unbelievably, I was named to the U.S. Track and Field team that summer.  I traveled to Beijing and was proud to represent my country as one of the first Iraq vets to compete in the Paralympic Games. My story is now being included in the upcoming documentary “Warrior Champions.” 

If it wasn’t for the Military Paralympic Program I wouldn’t be here today or have accomplished any of my proudest feats.

The program saved my life, but there are still more things we can do to pave the way for newly injured vets.  Not all injured veterans have access to the resources I did. Depending on where they live, they may not have the resources to go to the local gym or know who to turn to.

After being invited to testify, I learned all that this committee has done to support the Military Paralympic Program. I am grateful that this committee was responsible for passing a law last year that created a VA grant specifically for this program. I was also encouraged to learn that the VA asked Congress to fund that grant program for $6.5 million starting in 2010. This money will go a long way toward reaching out to disabled veterans and involving them in this great program. This money can also be used toward “recruiting, supporting, [and] equipping,“ a new generation of paralympians.

Last summer, I had a chance to be a coach at one of the military sports camp.  I remember the parents of one veteran, who was recently paralyzed, came to me with many question about equipment and training.   Yet I felt powerless that I didn’t have very many answers. There was no good place for me to direct these parents and where they lived they did not have access to gyms, let alone gyms that would understand the modifications needed to train a handicapped veteran.  With this money we can build more centers for veterans to train and more resources to train them with.

I was lucky – I found out about the Military Paralympic program soon after my injury. I was able to start training quickly, before the physical and emotional strains set-in.  Not all handicapped veterans are that lucky. I know this new VA grant program will make it easier to reach out to vets soon after their injury, introduce them to veterans like me, start their training, and give them hope.

Thank you for all that you have done and will continue to do for injured veterans.

• Read [3] more about Carlos Leon and his exceptional veteran teammates at the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing.
  

• Or watch Carlos' speech [4] at IAVA's 2008 HEROES GALA.