Wounded Warriors Empowered During Relaxed Curling Session with Team USA

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., July 26, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Injured veterans took to the arena ice to experience the chill sport of curling with Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) and Team USA athletes.

"I was a little nervous at first," said Navy veteran Tonya Cook, "because I never knew what curling was until I searched it online. Now, I'm talking about how that's too much spin, or too heavy a push, because I learned some terms and gained some experience."

Warriors gained professional insight into the sport of curling and built confidence in their physical abilities as they launched 42-pound polished granite stones toward the target, called the house.

"I never thought I'd be at a curling event in Florida," said Navy veteran Steve Holt. "Having the Team USA folks here to instruct us made it more exciting."

"If it weren't for Wounded Warrior Project and my peer support group, I probably wouldn't be here," Steve said. "I was really in bad shape and didn't want to get out of the house. They showed me that I could get back in the community and do things again. Since then, I've gotten more involved, and it's opened up a whole new world for me by helping other guys who are in the same place I was in."

WWP connects warriors with one another, their families, and communities. It serves warriors through lifesaving programs and services targeting mental and physical health, career and benefits counseling, and support for the most severely wounded. And WWP empowers warriors to mentor other veterans and live life on their terms.

"Events like this help me because they get me outside of my comfort zone," Tonya said. "I'm normally in a battle with anxiety, and I try to talk myself out of everything. But being held accountable and having my fellow veterans beside me — knowing they're counting on me — means I have to be there for them."

WWP has been connecting, serving, and empowering wounded warriors for 15 years. To learn more, visit http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Since 2003, Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) has been meeting the growing needs of warriors, their families, and caregivers – helping them achieve their highest ambition. Learn more: http://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/about-us.

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project