COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Two hundred wounded service men and women are competing in the Wounded Warrior Games this week.
FOX21 News first met Justin Widhalm in February as he worked his way back from combat injuries. Then on Thursday by coincidence, reporters found him competing in the shooting competition in Wounded Warrior Games.
There are seven sports in these inaugural games: archery, cycling, basketball, shooting, track and field, and sitting volleyball.
Widhalm is competing in the shooting competition. He was seriously injured in a chopper crash in Iraq in 2006. His list of injuries is mind-boggling.
"Broke my back in three places, dislocated both my knees, broke both of my feet, dislocated my left hip, and tore my right bicep muscle and suffered another concussion there," Widhalm said.
After learning to walk again Widhalm struggled with the ravages of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Now the former Army sniper says he finds a certain amount of peace in the shooting competition at the Warrior Games.
"It’s been very therapeutic for me being a sniper and everything, being able to shoot at a target and know that the target is not shooting back," Widhalm said.
During Thursday's competition Widhalm had consistently good scores. Then as the contest came to a close he buckled down and delivered a near-perfect shot that earned him the silver medal.
"I knew that I was close but I knew that I needed a really good shot to be able to, so I really had to control my breathing and trigger squeeze and all that to make that one possible," Widhalm said.
The Wounded Warrior Games wrap up Friday with track and field and the swimming finals.
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