Warriors on the Field

By Karen Robes Meeks

In 2008, an explosion left U.S. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Chris D’Angelo with nerve damage to the left side of his body. Previously a happy go-lucky jokester, he became dark and angry. “Normal family life was really tough, because no one understood what I was going through,” said the 36-year-old resident of Great Falls, Montana.

D’Angelo first participated in the Warrior Games in 2010, and he describes the experience as a “game-changer” that transformed his life. “Competing in the Warrior Games, I was with people who understood me 100 percent,” he said. “It brought me back to a reality, where maybe I can find a new normal and re-create myself into something bigger and better.”

To read the rest of this story in the digital edition of SportsTravel, please click here.