Word: winklers
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...Scott Winkler, nothing could have been more important than completing a lifetime of service for his country. An Army service technician who entered the military a few years after high school, Winkler, 34, took a two-year hiatus in the late '90s, only to realize he belonged in the military. But in 2003, Winkler fell off an ammo truck in Tikrit, injuring his spinal cord...
...former high school sprinter underwent years of physical therapy and rehabilitation before he discovered, six months ago, that he could not only throw the shot put and discus, but he could throw them well. And at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, two weeks after the Olympics, Winkler could have a chance to serve the U.S. in a different way - by proving he is the best in the world. "Everybody has hidden talents somewhere along the line," he says. "I never, ever threw shot put or discus. I thought fishing was my only thing...
...Winkler was one of 29 participants to attend the fifth Paralympic Military Sports Camp, held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs from May 3-8. The camp, launched by disabled Gulf War veteran John Register in 2005, is designed to help veterans like Winkler develop and hone new athletic skills through a series of intensive clinics. "We have 24 sports on the menu that can be offered," Register says. "On the battlefield, you strive for excellence, and there are a few here that continue to do that." U.S. Paralympics national team coaches and athletes train the veterans...
...Winkler also hopes to be a shoo-in for the shot put and discus at the Beijing trials in 2008. He has been to the Colorado camp twice, this past session to help motivate newly injured servicemen and women. "My thought process is, someone helped me at one time, so if you can just help one person, you've accomplished a lot." And he has. Already a champion at several regional competitions, Winkler has set his sights high for Beijing: "I want to be going for the world record, or just win a gold...
...Because it typically takes about three years to adequately rehab and train for the Paralympics, Winkler and Greene could be two of only a handful of other veterans from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to make the 2008 team. But by 2012, Register says he's confident that veterans from those wars will make up at least 15% of the U.S. team...