Ralph H. Johnson VA Health Care System<\/a>. During that meeting, she learned he had recently represented the Air Force at the Warrior Games, a national event where wounded, ill and injured service members come together to compete in adaptive sports.<\/p>\nWhen Deaton first went to the Games, he competed by borrowing some of the specialized adaptive gear. Now, as he trains for the trials for next year\u2019s Games, VA Recreational Therapy is making sure he has the equipment and support that he needs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThomas has shown tremendous dedication to his recovery and to pushing himself as an athlete,\u201d said Megregian. \u201cPart of my role is making sure he has access to the equipment and support he needs, so we\u2019ve partnered across services to get him fitted with adaptive sporting gear that will allow him to train and compete at his best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deaton\u2019s schedule at the upcoming trials will be full. Having competed already this year, he\u2019ll take part in wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, archery, rifle shooting, sitting volleyball, field events and cycling. It\u2019s a demanding slate, but one he welcomes. For this former Airman, each event is more than a contest. Wheelchair rugby pushes him to trust teammates, while cycling demands personal discipline. Archery, he said, quiets the noise and forces him to focus on one steady breath at a time.<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery sport teaches you something different,\u201d Deaton explained. \u201cWhen you put them together, you realize recovery isn\u2019t one thing either. It\u2019s not just physical or emotional or mental. It\u2019s all of it, working together.\u201d<\/p>\n
He explained that his outlook has been shaped by lessons learned long before he took on adaptive athletics. \u201cThe military taught me humility,\u201d he said. \u201cI realized quickly that I didn\u2019t have all the answers, and that was okay. My role was to listen. People will tell you what they need if you give them the space and respect to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
That same mindset guides him now, whether he\u2019s on the court or at home with his family. \u201cMost problems don\u2019t come from bad intent,\u201d he said. \u201cThey come from miscommunication or assumptions. That\u2019s why I focus on being clear and being present. People want to feel seen and heard.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Deaton, the Warrior Games aren\u2019t about medals. They\u2019re about connection. They\u2019re about showing what\u2019s possible. \u201cDon\u2019t underestimate the power of presence,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to have the perfect words or all the answers. Sometimes just showing up for someone makes all the difference.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adaptive sports help Veterans get in the game<\/h2>\n
Megregian has seen firsthand what adaptive sports can mean for Veterans. \u201cThese programs give people a chance to rediscover their strength,\u201d she said. \u201cIt builds confidence and offers a sense of teamwork that is hard to find anywhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n
Deaton has already been featured on ESPN for his athletic achievements, but the recognition isn\u2019t what drives him. He sees the Warrior Games as a platform to reach others who may be struggling. \u201cWhat excites me is the possibility of reaching more people and building stronger systems of support,\u201d he said. \u201cWhen we work together, the impact multiplies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cStories like Deaton\u2019s show what can happen when Veterans are given the right tools and encouragement,\u201d Megregian said. \u201cAt the Ralph H. Johnson VA HCS, our goal is to help them rediscover purpose and possibility. The Warrior Games are just one stage where that transformation shines.\u201d<\/p>\n
As he trains for the trials to make the 2026 Air Force Team, Deaton carries the lessons of recovery and resilience. His story is one of persistence and hope, and a reminder of what can happen when Veterans are given opportunities to heal, compete and find strength in community.<\/p>\n
\nThis article was originally published on the Charleston Health care System site<\/a> and has been edited for style and clarity.\u202f\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Air Force Veteran Thomas Deaton never expected that recovery would lead him back into the world of competition. Yet earlier this summer, he took to the court and the field as part of the Air Force Team at the Warrior Games, carrying not only his athletic ability but also the resilience that has defined his […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":657500,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5,240,1269],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-725319","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","category-mental-health","category-visn-7"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725319","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=725319"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725319\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":725320,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/725319\/revisions\/725320"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/657500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=725319"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=725319"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=725319"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}