Fighting the WAR to a full recovery
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June 29, 2009 - 8:39 AM
AMANDA HICKEY

Golf, swimming and rowing aren't just for a pretty summer day.

For the Marines of Wounded Warrior Battalion - East at Camp Lejeune, they're also part of a rehabilitation program that's encouraging athletics and competition.

Through the Warrior Athlete Rehabilitation (WAR) program, wounded Marines and sailors are able to train as athletes, while increasing their strength so they can continue with military service or have a healthy life afterwards, program organizers said.

Currently, there are 50 Marines and sailors involved in WAR, which began in Feb. 2008, said Dr. Ginger Gold, health and fitness director for the Wounded Warrior Battalion. Eighty warriors have completed the program since it's beginning.

With conditions including traumatic brain injury, post traumatic stress disorder and muscular skeletal injury, the troops in WAR are able to choose from aquatics, cycling, equine, golf, rowing, strength, yoga and biofeedback, which is psychophysiology training, according to information from WAR.

"You're going to see them go through one of the worst parts of their life if they've been injured in their deployment. ... They have an attitude as though they were athletes. ... When you have an athlete that's injured, the only thing that he or she wants to do is play his or her sport. It's the same thing with Marines. When a Marine gets injured on a deployment, they want to get back to being a Marine," said Patrick Sierer, strength and conditioning coach.

According to Gold, other rehabilitation takes the wounded warriors through about 80 percent of the road to recovery.

"What we do in this program is take them the rest of the way so if they want to stay in the Marine Corps and stay fit and deployable, ou have to pass the PFT," she said.

For the Marines and sailors who are getting out of the military, the program will help them "find an activity they might want to continue doing" while staying healthy, Gold said.

Once signed up, Marines and sailors meet with a coach and design an individualized program based on their capabilities, injury and goal, Gold said. After some time passes, participants are able to move into groups and train for events, if they so chose.

"We take them at a state where they maybe can't stand up due to balance issues to (being) able to compete. It's all the Marine. ... For the Marine that gets engaged and works hard, it's all him," Gold said.

The first step is the most important.

"If they walk through my door, that's a great first step. ... It takes a decision," Gold said.

It also takes a strength that many athletes know - the strength to try again.

"Regardless of what the injuries are, it's okay. (It's about figuring out) how do we get back in the game. It's just a real joy when you see some turn that corner from being very anxious to excited about life again," she said.

Contact Amanda Hickey at 910-219-8461 or ahickey@freedomenc. com. Read the Lejeune Deployed blog at http://lejeunedeployed. freedomblogging.com.

Ellie