Transition Possible, a nonprofit organization based out of San Antonio, Texas has found an answer to the question, "How can we help our veterans?"
Millions of American soldiers have fought overseas. Thousands have returned home with life-altering injuries and encountered a host of new challenges. This reality begs the question: What should be done to help our veterans?
Transition Possible, a nonprofit organization based in San Antonio, has come up with a unique answer. Founded in 2011, Transition Possible is the creation of Rick Martinez, a former Army trauma nurse who served an 18-month tour at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in 2006. The seed for his organization was planted on his very first day of service when he entered the lounge to discover a woman asleep on the couch. The woman, petite and probably in her mid-30s, got up and walked over to a mirror in the lounge.
“Then she started crying. Just like that. Crying really hard,” Martinez says. “And I swear to goodness that with each sob, she seemed to grow a little more determined, almost as if she was preparing for something. I didn’t know what. Then she stopped. Just like that. She washed her face … patted it dry with a towel. Put on just a bit of make-up, not a lot. Folded the towel, grabbed her small bag and walked out.”
The woman turned out to be the mother of his very first patient; a young soldier who lost a limb, an eye and part of an ear. The woman smiled and thanked Martinez for taking care of her son.
A working relationship formed involving mother, son and nurse. Every morning, the woman cried in the lounge before composing herself and walking into her son’s room.
“She made the conscious decision each and every day for the many months they were there … to take charge of her day … of her life,” Martinez says. “She inspired me. She made me think even more about my own family, my teenage kids and how easily the tables could be turned. She and her son made me rethink my life and how much more each of us has inside of us to make an impact.”
That impact came in the form of Transition Possible, which aims to help heal the mind, body and spirit of wounded veterans. After discovering CrossFit, Martinez came to realize functional fitness would be a great outlet for wounded veterans.
“Because of the path that I was put on, with the combination of healthcare, fitness and CrossFit, it happened naturally that adaptive athletes came to our gym,” he says. “One day, a wounded warrior came in and said, ‘I’m an amputee, and I know you were a nurse, and I’d like to try CrossFit.’”
Martinez saw a gap between wounded veterans interested in CrossFit and the number of gyms capable of providing CrossFit to adaptive athletes. Transition Possible aims to bridge that gap.
“The average facility owner typically knows more about leading a class than interacting with or coaching the adaptive athlete,” Martinez says. “So, there is definitely a prevalent gap, and it is bigger than we thought so we need to do that much more to close the gap.”
Transition Possible works with Fitness PorVida in San Antonio to bring CrossFit to wounded veterans and adaptive athletes. Fitness PorVida offers CrossFit at two locations: Alamo CrossFit and Constitution CrossFit.
Transition Possible also created a fundraising structure called “The Bowed Not Broken Adaptive Series” to benefit wounded veterans. On Aug. 15, the series hosted an event in which participants performed a Hero WOD named Tracy. More than 50 CrossFitters took part. Five of those participants were either adaptive athletes or wounded veterans.
The event raised more than $3,500. The money will be used for the development of infrastructure and education to help wounded veterans. For example, Transition Possible has in the works a “business boot camp” that will provide wounded veterans with the skills and knowledge to transform their passion for fitness into career ventures, such as ownership of their own CrossFit gym.
Importantly, the fundraiser inspired other box owners from across the country who have expressed interest in hosting a similar event to raise funds for Transition Possible.
Scott Palomino, 28, was looking to get his “life and health back on track.”
In April 2004, while serving in the United States Air Force in Balad, Iraq, a mortar round hit him. The blast took his entire left foot and resulted in a below-the-knee amputation. The attack wounded a colleague and took the life of another, A1C Antoine J. Holt.
A fraternity brother of Palomino’s was attending his Level 1 Seminar at Alamo CrossFit when he learned the gym specialized in training adaptive athletes. On his return, he told Palomino about their program and he quickly made an appointment at the gym.
“I made an appointment with Alamo CrossFit and I have been very happy and impressed with the treatment, experience and workouts I receive on a weekly basis,” he says. “I feel more confident and healthy now that I am involved in CrossFit. My first impression was, ‘This is really going to kick my butt but get me into awesome shape!’ And that is exactly what I wanted in my life. I am also getting married in May 2013 and want to look my best for my future wife, Amanda McGill.”
Palomino, who now trains at Constitution CrossFit, has seen the positive impact on the lives of wounded veterans and gives credit to Transition Possible.
“I absolutely love what Rick [Martinez] and his staff are doing for the men and women who sacrifice their lives to protect our nation … I look forward to many more Transition Possible events and meeting all of the wonderful CrossFit athletes. Fitness PorVida has changed my life … Rick has given me the opportunity to better myself physically and mentally.”
Transition Possible has helped bring about a number of success stories, but as Martinez would readily tell you, there is a lot left to do.
The next step for the organization is a fundraiser on Oct. 6. The event—The Bowed Not Broken Adaptive Series Warrior Summit II—will bring together wounded veterans and some of CrossFit’s top coaches and trainers including Jeff Tucker, Greg Amundson and Tommy Hackenbruck.
According to Martinez, attendees will learn about the many adaptations available to make CrossFit a viable training program for wounded veterans and adaptive athletes.
Kyle Maynard, ESPY award winner and CrossFit athlete, will be the keynote speaker.
The event, along with others hosted by Transition Possible in the future, will help ensure the warrior spirit of our returning veterans remains alive and well.
Find more information on Transition Possible's website here.