By Alyssa Ross, Navy Installations Command
MILLINGTON, Tenn. – A native of Miami, Florida, will join more than 250 seriously wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans at the Department of Defense (DOD) Warrior Games Challenge July 18-26, 2025, at Colorado College in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
U.S. Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman Cesar Borrero will be competing against athletes representing the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force and U.S. Special Operations Command. During the nine-day competition, Borrero will compete in archery, field, powerlifting, precision air sports, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball.
Hosted by U.S. Army Training & Doctrine Command (TRADOC), the DOD organizes an annual premier and elite adaptive-sports competition, the Warrior Games. This year is the 15th anniversary, highlighting the exceptional physical skills and mental toughness of seriously wounded, ill and injured active-duty and veteran service members. Though there are medals distributed during Warrior Games, the competition most highly celebrates personal tenacity, perseverance and the triumph of the spirit.
Borrero joined the Navy in 2000 as an opportunity to build a fulfilling and prosperous career. While on limited duty status, Borrero attended several introductory adaptive sports camps through Navy Wounded Warrior, where he had grown confident enough to become a trusted voice among his peers. Borrero is especially fond of sitting volleyball.
“Navy adaptive sports have given me the confidence to try and do the things I used to enjoy before," Borrero said. "This program has given me the support to try again.”
The U.S. Navy is celebrating its 250th birthday this year.
According to Navy officials, “America is a maritime nation and for 250 years, America’s Warfighting Navy has sailed the globe in defense of freedom.”
For more information about the 2025 DoD Warrior Games Challenge, visit https://dodwarriorgames.com.
About Adaptive Athletics
Team Navy is part of the Navy Wounded Warrior’s adaptive athletics program. Serious wounds, illness, or injury can profoundly impact that way of life, often significantly altering their physical capabilities. Adaptive athletics have been modified to meet the abilities of injured or ill individuals. They help wounded warriors rebuild strength and endurance while also drawing inspiration from their teammates. Sports also help build self-esteem, lower stress levels and invite service members to rejoin a team environment. All wounded warriors enrolled in the Navy Wounded Warrior program are encouraged to include adaptive athletics in their recovery.
About Navy Wounded Warrior
Navy Wounded Warrior is an official Navy program that serves as an unbiased advocate, bridging the needs of commands and care teams with those of sailors and Coast Guardsmen in the midst of navigating to a new normal after a serious wound, illness, or injury. Since 2009, Navy Wounded Warrior has helped more than 12,000 seriously wounded, ill and injured sailors and Coast Guardsmen, along with their families and caregivers. The program provides individually tailored and comprehensive non-medical assistance designed to optimize the success of enrollees’ recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration efforts.
Contact Navy Wounded Warrior at 855-NAVY WWP / 855-628-9997, or email navywoundedwarrior.fct@navy.mil.