Swimming Competitor Prepares for Upcoming Warrior Games

By SSG Emily Anderson, WTC Stratcom

SGT James Arnold is one of 19 Warriors in Transition swimmers who will compete at the 2011 Warrior Games.

The light blue water splashes across U.S. Army SGT James Arnold’s face. He is almost there, only a few more meters. Leaving behind the scars and the pain, he is one with the water. This is his chance to prove that anything is possible.

“I love to swim and am very competitive,” said Arnold, of Chattanooga, TN, who injured his left leg while deployed to Contingency Operating Base Speicher, Iraq, and who is one of 19 Warriors in Transition preparing to head to Fort Carson, CO, to race in the upcoming swimming competition at the 2011 Warrior Games.

“I decided to compete to help raise awareness of the wounded warriors’ plight in mainstream America,” Arnold added. “I was thrilled to be invited to join the competition and am excited to compete with other Veterans.”

Arnold, who was recently treated through a Warrior Transition Unit and is assigned to the Tennessee National Guard’s 230th Sustainment Brigade, will compete in the 50-meter freestyle swim, 100-meter freestyle swim, and 30-kilometer cycling events. He has prepared for the competition by swimming daily for two hours at Chattanooga gyms and riding a stationary bike.

“Being with other wounded warriors will be a chance of a lifetime,” Arnold said. “I am hoping to win a gold medal.”

Holly Sisk, a performance enhancement specialist (PES) with the Comprehensive Soldier Fitness-Performance and Resilience Enhancement Program (CSF-PREP) at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, was selected as the swimming coach for the Warrior Games and has helped the swimming participants train for the event.

“I am very excited about the upcoming competition,” she said. “The Warrior Games is an excellent opportunity for warriors to overcome obstacles and focus on the things that they can do. It’s inspirational just to be a part of that.”

The Warrior Games are open to wounded servicemembers from all military branches who are still serving or have left the military and provide them an opportunity to compete against other wounded warriors.

“Warrior Games is an excellent opportunity to practice the mental, physical, and social skills that are needed to succeed in both sports and life,” Sisk said. “I want to do everything that I can to facilitate that for these warriors who deserve the best. I also want them to swim fast, win medals, and have fun.”

While working with the CSF-PREP, a program that provides a systematic way to build mental and emotional strength education methods from the fields of sport and performance psychology, Sisk has been able to become familiar with the swimming sport and plans to incorporate her swimming knowledge into helping warriors.

“I communicate with the team on a weekly basis and send them training goals, so that they are ready to compete,” Sisk added. “I have reached out to some other coaches for ideas and tips because I think it’s good to incorporate different ideas into the training goals.”

This year is the second year the Warrior Games will take place. The competition is a joint effort between the U.S. Olympic Committee and the Department of Defense.

“I am looking forward to meeting the warriors and helping to make life-long memories surrounding this competition,” Sisk said. “I’m focused on what the swimmers will gain from this experience.”

SGT James Arnold practices his swimming techniques for his upcoming competition at the Warrior Games.

Sisk, along with swimming participants in the Washington, DC, area, have been training every Tuesday for the swimming event at the Wilson Aquatic Center, Washington DC.

Although, Arnold is not in this area to train with his coach and other members of the Army swimming team, he continues to train with the support of his Family and friends.

“Knowing that my Family and friends are behind me 100 percent and that I am representing the Tennessee Army National Guard makes me proud,” Arnold said.