The Department of Defense Warrior Games will return to the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, in June 2024.
First held in 2010, the annual event will feature hundreds of athletes, including those from international allied nations, who will compete in adaptive sporting events such as wheelchair basketball, cycling, indoor rowing and sitting volleyball. The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex will serve as the Warrior Games venue for the second time. The complex previously hosted the 2016 Invictus Games and the 2022 DoD Warrior Games.
“We are humbled to again welcome these heroic service members and veterans, their families and supporters to ESPN Wide World of Sports next summer,” said Jeff Vahle, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “Their sacrifice has allowed us the freedoms we enjoy daily, and we are honored to be able to witness their spirit of determination, boldness and loyalty come alive during the games.”
The Warrior Games serve to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded warriors by providing them exposure to adaptive sports. Participation in the Warrior Games represents the culmination of a service member’s involvement in an adaptive sports program.
“Adaptive sports play such a powerful role in the mental and physical recovery of wounded, ill and injured military members, and we are excited to once again be back at ESPN Wide World of Sports,” said Gen. Gary Brito, commanding general of TRADOC. “These men and women deserve our support as they overcome these obstacles and it’s an honor to host the Warrior Games on behalf of the U.S. Army and DoD.”