Warrior Adapts to Hit His Targets By Rachel Bolles The pandemic has affected us all in major, unpredictable ways. Combine that with some of the things wounded warriors deal with on a frequent basis — post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and physical injuries — and it can be really challenging to feel like you’re accomplishing much of anything. But one warrior hasn’t let these difficult circumstances overtake him. Instead, he uses them to push forward toward even more success. “People often tell me I should be a motivational speaker, but I’m not that; I’m a motivational doer,” said Gabriel “Gabe” George. Gabe was a Navy corpsman, and injured in a motorcycle accident. The accident left him with mild TBI and severe spinal cord damage, resulting in a paralyzed right arm and significant, enduring daily pain that he describes as “1,000 volts of electricity jabbing down my arm, sprinkled with needles of fire.” His injuries forced his medical retirement from the Navy. Despite his injuries, Gabe didn’t want to slow down. He spent 10 years trying to find things to cope with his pain, and then he attended a VA summer sports clinic in San Diego, where he was introduced to adaptive sports. He learned about sailing, surfing, cycling, and archery. A Paralympic coach took a string out of his pocket and told Gabe to bite down and pull back. Gabe immediately hit the target. And just like that, he had his sights set on a new hobby: adaptive archery. As soon as he got home, he went to the archery store and bought a bow. One thing led to another, and he began shooting at different ranges and connecting with people who shared information to help him improve. He ultimately connected with a Paralympic athlete who took Gabe under his wing, and they practiced for hours together every day. Fast forward to last year, right before the pandemic became widespread across North America. While on a snowboarding adventure, Gabe tripped and landed on his paralyzed arm, shattering the humerus bone. Previously, doctors had told him amputating the arm would introduce too much risk for infection. But his inability to control his arm and prevent further injury was a risk in itself — especially with him being so active — and doctors finally agreed to amputate after the snowboarding injury. After the amputation, Gabe moved quickly to navigate his healing process. He learned that while he needed to remaster some things, others became easier postoperation. One big change: his balance. Balance impacts all his regular activities, so he relearned movements to correct his center of gravity. Conversely, he learned it was much easier to manage his mobility while scuba diving — one of his favorite hobbies — and he can now sleep more comfortably. While he still deals with pain, he’s maintained his momentum and has returned to regular activities. With the pandemic closing so many places, including Gabe’s usual place for target practice, he thought about other ways to stay active. For example, he reached out to the pastor of a church near his home and asked to use his parking lot for archery. Continued on page 10 >
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WWW.HomelandMagazine.com / FEBRUARY 2021