Sergeant Jonte Scott came home from Valor Games Midwest with "the taste for winning" after earning three gold medals, along with renewed confidence and skills.

Scott, a warrior with Charlie Company, placed first in the cycling, shot put and powerlifting events at the U.S. Paralympic competition in Chicago Aug. 23 to 25.

"It felt good. It felt like you're doing something positive," she said.

"Who would've thought the captain of the cheerleading team would've won in powerlifting?" asked Scott, who led her cheerleading team and ran track in high school, but never got into weightlifting; in fact, she took up both power-lifting and shot put for the first time in the round-robin training days at Valor Games just before the competitions began.

A supply sergeant by trade, Scott got close with the other warriors from here who competed as well. Many of her peers also placed at the Valor Games: Sgt. Alfredo Alverado, C Co., won a silver medal in rowing; Cpl. Brian Dean, Alpha Co., won a bronze medal in archery; and Spc. Timothy Martin, C Co. won a silver medal in rowing. Scott, who is injured in both knees, got her introduction to adaptive sports here in February after platoon members urged her to join them on the sitting volleyball court.

"I love the sitting volleyball ... I think it's a good way to get out aggression and stress," said Scott.Her love for sitting volleyball that had her seeking to compete in Valor Games; when she found out the games wouldn't have that sport, she signed up for power-lifting instead along with cycling.

Scott got word just two weeks before the games that she was accepted, meaning she had to bolster her recumbent bike training routine from two to more than eight miles.

"She had a positive attitude about it and she really got more involved with the cycling and stuff and she picked it up from there and ran with it," said Staff Sgt. Mario Bilbrew, Scott's C Co. cycling coach.

At the games, Scott also signed up for a throwing event, finding that putting the shot felt like an emotional release. Likewise, she put her heart into powerlifting; she defeated four female competitors to win with a bench press of 105 pounds.

"I wanted to do it because I wanted to tell other females we can do these sports too and we can be good at them," she said.

For a Soldier who is transitioning out of the Army, Scott welcomed the chance to succeed at something new. In fact, she hopes to go to culinary school to start her next career; she dreams of opening a Mexican or soul food restaurant.

Successes such as winning gold medals at Valor Games help nudge her along toward that future.

"It made it feel like everything's not over for me, and like I could still be good at something," she said.