FORT BLISS, Texas- Dozens of competitive Soldier athletes are ready for the 2025 Army Trials at Fort Bliss, Texas and will continue through April 9.
Sixty-seven wounded and injured Soldier athletes will compete in paralympic-style adaptive sports for a spot on Team Army and a chance to represent the Army at Warrior Games in Colorado Springs, Colo., in July. Individual sports include rowing, archery, cycling, swimming, powerlifting, track and field and air rifle. The team sports are wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball and sitting volleyball.
Lt. Col. John Hutka of the Texas National Guard is ready to show what he can do after recovering from back surgery at the Fort Cavazos SRU. “I saw the list of things to compete in and thought, I can do those so here I am,” the 55-year-old said.
“I would assume I am one of the older Soldier athletes,” he said, chuckling. Hutka is thrilled to be rounding out his 24-year career with a chance to represent the Army at Warrior Games.
“I’d be honored and proud to represent the Army. There’s a lot of other guys here, who I’m excited to see what they do. I’m just old and broke and happy to be here to give it a try,” he said.
But don’t count him out. Hutka embraced adaptive sports to recover and says he gets better daily. “I’ve focused on cycling and was a competitive swimmer, so definitely swimming,” he said.
Learning to do things differently has given him a new lease on life, and he is thankful for the Army Recovery Care Program. “It’s amazing how adaptive sports have helped me recover. The folks at Fort Cavazos have always lent their expertise to me and they helped me with things I didn’t think about. Cycling and rowing for example that don’t involve pounding your feet on the hard surface are a great option,” Hutka said.
The camaraderie at Army Trials is strong among the Soldier athletes. Hutka is in the thick of it. “I think I could teach a few things, but I probably will learn a whole lot more than I can teach. I truly am honored and humbled to be here,” he said.”
The Soldier Recovery Unit helps eligible Soldiers with complex wounds, illnesses or injuries to recover and return to the fighting force or to transition to veteran status with dignity and respect.