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Nearly 200 Wounded Veterans Compete in 2026 Warrior Games in San Antonio
In the heart of San Antonio, nearly 200 wounded veterans are stepping onto the field of recovery, competing in the 2026 Warrior Games—a grueling eight‑day adaptive‑sports showdown that runs from June 13 to 20 at the Henry B. González Convention Center. Hosted by the U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command (T2COM), the Games bring together service members with disabilities in a 12‑sport festival that includes archery, powerlifting, wheelchair basketball, and indoor rowing.
The Warrior Games trace their roots to 2010, when the U.S. Olympic Committee launched a program for wounded, ill, and injured service members. For the first four to five years the Olympic Committee ran the event, after which the Department of Defense assumed responsibility. Each branch of the military ran the Games for a year, and in 2021 the Army stepped in as executive agent. David Paschal, the current director of the Warrior Games, has been involved since that transition. Paschal explained that the concept was created to give seriously injured soldiers an opportunity to focus on sport as part of their recovery journey. He added that the Games provide a sense of camaraderie that many veterans miss.
Participants consistently report both physical and mental benefits. Retired Air Force Technical Sergeant Wiley Moore, a San Antonio resident, was introduced to archery after a car accident five years ago left him with back, hip, and knee injuries. He began training at the Soldier Recovery Unit at Lackland Air Force Base, where a recreational therapist introduced him to the sport. Moore said that practicing archery has helped him calm a racing mind and manage anxiety and depression.
First Lieutenant Jani Merritt, a 28‑year‑old Army veteran diagnosed with transverse myelitis, is competing in her second Warrior Games. She recently took part in the Parasports Games and said she can still shoot archery and powerlift, though the format is different. Merritt plans to apply for the Invictus Games, the international multi‑sport event for wounded, injured and sick military personnel.
Other competitors highlight the supportive community the Games foster. Retired Air Force Staff Sergeant Curtis Belew, who suffered multiple back injuries, began archery after a 20‑year hiatus and has since entered competitions across the country. Retired Air Force Master Sergeant Eva De Jesus Collazo, who sustained a spinal cord injury in a car crash, said adaptive sports helped her connect with others in recovery and that the sky is the limit for anyone. Her Air Force friend, retired A1C Angela Moore, lives with a traumatic brain injury and serves as the “Spirit of the Team,” cheering competitors with an Air Force‑themed spirit stick.
Retired Army Master Sergeant Christopher Morago praised Merritt’s archery skill, calling her a “female Robin Hood” and noting that she is “one of a kind.”
The 2026 Warrior Games is the 15th annual event, drawing more than 200 wounded, ill, and injured service members and over 500 family members, coaches, caregivers, and supporters. The Marine Corps opened the Games with a strong showing in powerlifting and an exhibition pickleball competition, earning 10 medals. The competition schedule runs from June 13 to 20, with most events held at the Henry B. González Convention Center.
The Games continue through Saturday, June 20, as veterans compete in 12 adaptive sports. The event underscores the Department of Defense’s commitment to supporting wounded, ill and injured service members and provides a platform for athletes to demonstrate resilience, camaraderie and recovery.
The Warrior Games trace their roots to 2010, when the U.S. Olympic Committee launched a program for wounded, ill, and injured service members. For the first four to five years the Olympic Committee ran the event, after which the Department of Defense assumed responsibility. Each branch of the military ran the Games for a year, and in 2021 the Army stepped in as executive agent. David Paschal, the current director of the Warrior Games, has been involved since that transition. Paschal explained that the concept was created to give seriously injured soldiers an opportunity to focus on sport as part of their recovery journey. He added that the Games provide a sense of camaraderie that many veterans miss.
Participants consistently report both physical and mental benefits. Retired Air Force Technical Sergeant Wiley Moore, a San Antonio resident, was introduced to archery after a car accident five years ago left him with back, hip, and knee injuries. He began training at the Soldier Recovery Unit at Lackland Air Force Base, where a recreational therapist introduced him to the sport. Moore said that practicing archery has helped him calm a racing mind and manage anxiety and depression.
First Lieutenant Jani Merritt, a 28‑year‑old Army veteran diagnosed with transverse myelitis, is competing in her second Warrior Games. She recently took part in the Parasports Games and said she can still shoot archery and powerlift, though the format is different. Merritt plans to apply for the Invictus Games, the international multi‑sport event for wounded, injured and sick military personnel.
Other competitors highlight the supportive community the Games foster. Retired Air Force Staff Sergeant Curtis Belew, who suffered multiple back injuries, began archery after a 20‑year hiatus and has since entered competitions across the country. Retired Air Force Master Sergeant Eva De Jesus Collazo, who sustained a spinal cord injury in a car crash, said adaptive sports helped her connect with others in recovery and that the sky is the limit for anyone. Her Air Force friend, retired A1C Angela Moore, lives with a traumatic brain injury and serves as the “Spirit of the Team,” cheering competitors with an Air Force‑themed spirit stick.
Retired Army Master Sergeant Christopher Morago praised Merritt’s archery skill, calling her a “female Robin Hood” and noting that she is “one of a kind.”
The 2026 Warrior Games is the 15th annual event, drawing more than 200 wounded, ill, and injured service members and over 500 family members, coaches, caregivers, and supporters. The Marine Corps opened the Games with a strong showing in powerlifting and an exhibition pickleball competition, earning 10 medals. The competition schedule runs from June 13 to 20, with most events held at the Henry B. González Convention Center.
The Games continue through Saturday, June 20, as veterans compete in 12 adaptive sports. The event underscores the Department of Defense’s commitment to supporting wounded, ill and injured service members and provides a platform for athletes to demonstrate resilience, camaraderie and recovery.
