Fitness on all Fronts: Wounded Warrior Project Veterans Attend Fitness Expo at Georgetown

WASHINGTON, Feb. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Georgetown University opened its doors recently to injured veterans taking part in a Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) Physical Health and Wellness coaching program. As they spent three days exploring exercise, nutrition, and lifestyle goals, warriors reaped the benefits of getting out of the house and connecting with fellow service members.

The expo kick-started a 90-day coaching program, which will empower warriors to rehabilitate themselves through physical and nutritional practices. Participants set goals and received tools to track individual progress on the first day. Warriors were then tested for range of motion and learned about adaptive exercises that could be incorporated into an effective workout regimen. After learning about proper nutrition and hydration with a sports nutritionist, the group headed to the Verizon Center to see the men's basketball team face off against UCONN. Veterans rounded out their expo experience with a Total Body Resistance Exercise (TRX) workout demo, followed by a tour of the Thompson Athletic Center. Georgetown's head football coach met with the group to share insights on the importance of mindset and motivation.  

"I enjoyed everything about this expo," said Army veteran Shonda Gloude-Jones. "My physical inabilities were not a problem with all the accommodations the team made."

"Physical health and wellness plays a significant role in the recovery process," said Army veteran Gregg Skibicki. "It allows warriors to realize they can still stay active and fit, even with their injuries. We can learn to adapt to new challenges, whether they are physical, mental, or emotional. Plus, it's great to be around other warriors to establish a motivational support network."  

These connection activities support the long-term recovery needs of warriors by reintroducing them to the bonds experienced during military service. In a WWP survey of the injured warriors it serves, more than half of survey respondents (51.7 percent) talked with fellow veterans to address their mental health issues, and 29.6 percent expressed physical activity helps. 

"Wounded Warrior Project events keep me involved, and they give me a chance to talk with others who get it," said Navy veteran Rob Mazza. "It parallels that sense of a team that we lose when we are no longer in the military."

WWP staff interacted with attendees throughout the expo, advising them of additional services to assist in their recovery processes. WWP offers programs and services that help injured veterans with mental health, physical health and wellness, career and benefits counseling, and connecting with other warriors and their communities. Generous donors make it possible for wounded warriors to take part in outreach activities and benefit from program resources at no cost to them.

"Being part of Wounded Warrior Project is a major part of my life and my family's lives," Shonda said. "It has been a guiding light for me. I am doing things I thought I would never be able to do again. It builds morale, confidence, and lasting friendships."  

To learn and see more about how WWP's programs and services connect, serve, and empower wounded warriors, visit https://newsroom.woundedwarriorproject.org/, and click on multimedia.

About Wounded Warrior Project
Wounded Warrior Project^® (WWP) connects, serves, and empowers wounded warriors. 

SOURCE Wounded Warrior Project