Warrior Transition Battalion athletes came home from the Warrior Games with a little more weight than when they left; all four WTB Soldiers placed in their sporting events, earning gold, silver and bronze medals.

The Warriors in Transition spent a week competing last month against active and veteran servicemembers from all branches in the Department of Defense's second annual Warrior Games held in Colorado Springs, Colo.

"It feels amazing. It's a great honor to be able to represent the Army team and compete at the highest level ... It's awesome to know once you're hurt you can still compete," said Sgt. Lester Perez, who along with Spc. Daniel Biskey, both Warriors with Charlie Company, helped the Army's wheelchair basketball team beat the Marines 44-19 to win the gold medal.

For Perez, playing wheelchair basketball was a way to continue a sport he played in high school and for fun in the Army before he injured both legs in an improvised explosive device blast.

Participating in Warrior Games became a source of inspiration for Spc. Michael Grover as well, who won the bronze medal for the 100 meter freestyle swim event.

"Going (to Warrior Games) was just very inspiring, seeing other wounded athletes in the spirit of competition," said Grover, a Soldier with Bravo Co. who joined the WTB after being medevaced from Afghanistan.

Specialist Brian Johnson, a Warrior with C Co., also won a silver medal for discus in the competition. The WTB contributed as well by sending a cadre member as the Army's assistant wheelchair basketball coach.

"It was an incredible feeling, really unexplainable," said Sgt. Brice Hamilton, a squad leader with C Co., about winning the basketball gold. "I was so excited for the team, players and the positive changes that adaptive sports has had on everyone involved.

The two WTs from (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) have put in a lot of personal time, effort and hard work to make this team," said Hamilton, who handled the team's logistical arrangements and helped coach on the court.

Warrior Games events also included shooting, archery, cycling, sitting volleyball, and other track and field events. An estimated 200 athletes attended from all services in the joint competition.

The Department of Defense created the games with the U.S. Olympic Committee to emphasize the role of athletics in the recovery of wounded, ill and injured servicemembers. Although Warrior Games is held just once a year, the WTB offers adaptive sports year-round in areas including sitting volleyball, aquatics, rowing, scuba and more.