Ft. Sam Houston Wounded Warriors Amazing Race

I had such a blast last week tagging along with the wounded warriors here at Ft. Sam Houston’s Brooke Army Medical Center while they participated in their own version of the Amazing Race! My job was to shadow one specific team, the Scorpions, but I also managed to grab a few shots of other teams as we ran into them around Ft. Sam.

This was such a fun thing to participate in, and I know the soldiers and WTB (warriors in transition battalion) staff who participated had a blast too! We started at 8am sharp, and my team finished sometime during the eleven o’clock hour. There were a variety of tasks that had to be completed, ranging from unscrambling puzzles, to finding a specific helicopter (whirley bird) on post, to figuring out the names of the WTB leadership, to counting mailboxes, to riding a horse.

There were also some fun rules that were enforced. For example, personal vehicles owned by a team member were forbidden (disqualification was threatened), and a team could not take the same form of transportation twice in a row to get to a checkpoint. So, you had to thumb a ride with some unsuspecting person. But the car had to be big enough to carry the whole team as the team had to travel together. Or, you could try catching one of the shuttles on post. Or you could walk/run…. You get the point. And I was right there along with them, camera around my neck, huffing and puffing as we ran up to cars asking for rides, or searched for a taxi, or ran the whole way! I crammed myself into some pretty tight spots in order to travel with the team and keep shooting!

My team (yes, they were “my” team!) didn’t win, but we didn’t mind so much. The first, second, and third placers got certificates, medals, and a bit of pocket moolah. Oh, and each of the first place team members also got adorable little Army bears. Now, I did want one of those! I think the Colonel wanted one too because he snuggled one of the little guys pretty close for a minute before giving it up!

In the end, it was a day filled with fun, surprises, and exercise! And it was such a great break for all of these guys and gals who participated. My understanding is this was the first of more to come. To that, I say “Fabulous!!” I’ll go buy a new pair of running shoes.