Marine Corps veteran Travis Dodson’s life modified in a flash – actually – when a grenade exploded in Iraq, killing his battle buddy and severing each his legs.
As an athlete, Dodson struggled to adapt to life as a disabled veteran, till he discovered a brand new ardour, sled hockey. Dodson dove into mastering the game, earned a spot on the Workforce USA paralympic sled hockey group and have become a two-time gold medalist.
With the 2026 Paralympic Winter Video games set to start in Milan, Italy, on March 6, Dodson hopes to guide a robust American squad again to a third-consecutive gold medal, after claiming the highest spot in 2018 and 2022.
Lately, Dodson, from Deming, New Mexico, has used his platform as a adorned navy veteran and paralympic athlete to advertise adaptive sports activities throughout the U.S.
Adjusting to Life After Loss
After changing into a double amputee, Dodson tried totally different adaptive sports activities whereas attending the College of Illinois. He grew to become adequate to qualify for the 2014 Sochi Video games, competing in cross-country snowboarding and the biathlon. However at age 29, he determined to provide para ice hockey a try to quickly fell in love with the game.
Now 40, with three paralympic winter video games beneath his belt, Dodson helps youthful disabled athletes transition to adaptive sports activities.
Dodson was compelled to adapt to a brand new lifestyle in February 2007 when a grenade detonated about three toes from him, blasting off one leg from the hip and the opposite under the knee. His unit’s radio operator, Daniel Morris, didn’t survive the blast.
Considerably amazingly, Dodson remained aware after the assault, appeared down at his physique and noticed the grenade’s destruction. A medical corpsman tended to Dodson, holding him awake till he was airlifted to a hospital. He obtained a Purple Coronary heart for his service.
“Actually simply being fortunate, you already know, to have a hand grenade go off in all probability a meter, meter and a half away from you after which to outlive that’s clearly in and of itself simply fairly fortunate and superb,” Dodson informed sports activities reporter Simone Eli. “, my good buddy Morris, he wasn’t so fortunate. He died throughout that very same explosion.”
Dodson spent months recovering, which was each bodily and emotionally exhausting. Mentally, Dodson went right into a shell however was lastly pulled out with assist from his dad and mom, different veterans and assist from therapists.
“After I was first injured, it was robust. I simply didn’t need to exit in public, I felt uncomfortable. I used to be uncomfortable with myself and my physique being injured this fashion,” Dodson stated. “So, if folks had simply let me go off and keep in my room all day, I in all probability would have performed it. However they had been like, ‘Nope, you’re popping out. You’re going to do that.’”
New Calling with Adaptive Sports activities
Competing within the 2014 winter video games, Dodson acquired a thirst for paralympic competitors. Switching over to para ice hockey, he made the Workforce USA roster in 2018 and hasn’t appeared again.
“Adaptive sports activities … form of actually saved me perhaps from form of dropping it, truthfully,” Dodson stated.
At 40, Dodson is the elder statesman amongst his American teammates. However with a extremely aggressive squad with stable camaraderie, even first-time Paralympians ought to be capable of contribute to the group’s success.
Away from the ice, Dodson mentors disabled kids, encouraging them to become involved in adaptive sports activities and pursue their very own athletic goals.
“There’s a variety of younger children which are the identical. Both they had been born that manner or they’ve been lately injured, they usually’re attempting sled hockey, they usually see us, and that’s what they need to aspire to be,” Dodson stated. “So, we’re attempting to assist them and form of assist the subsequent youthful technology of disabled athletes get to so far as they’ll.”
As for the subsequent couple of weeks, anticipating a aggressive discipline in Milan, Dodson and his teammates will give attention to retaining their high spot on the rostrum.
