Kempsey's Damien Batty is "on a high" after competing in the Department of Defence (DoD) Warrior Games, coming away with a stack of medals.
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But for Batty, it was not just about the accolades; it was about the journey and the personal victories along the way.
"The journey was the cake and the icing on the cake was the actual experience," he said.
"It was one of the best things that I've been a part of, and it's an experience that I'll never forget."
The event was held from June 21-30 at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida.
Batty competed in archery, swimming, and wheelchair rugby, and also captained the sitting volleyball team.
"We held our own pretty well [and were] really competitive in wheelchair rugby and sitting volleyball, but we owned the pool," he said.
Batty earned two gold medals in the 50 metre breaststroke and the 4x50 metre freestyle relay, and a silver medal in the 50 metre freestyle.
"It's not just about the medals; I got a personal best in the relay and individual freestyle race," he said.
Batty said the experience has given him "hope and newfound confidence".
"As a veteran afflicted by conditions, I recommend anyone who is in that situation to have a go at adaptive sports," he said.
"There's lots of Invictus Australia events around the Macleay Valley and Port Macquarie."
The DoD Warrior Games, an annual event since 2010, celebrates the resilience and dedication of wounded, ill, and injured active duty and veteran military service members.
The games aim to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded warriors by providing exposure to adaptive sports.
Batty was inspired to apply for the DoD Warrior Games after supporting a friend at the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 in Germany.
Batty served in the Australian Army from January 15, 1996, to December 1, 2021, in Army Health Services, with deployments to Bougainville in 1999, Solomon Islands in 2009, and Afghanistan in 2012.
He also supported Operation COVID-19 Assist in 2021 and contributed to the Army Aboriginal Community Assistance Program in remote Northern Territory and far north Queensland.
Batty's journey into adaptive sports began after his retirement from active team participation due to multiple lower limb injuries, PTSD, and other conditions.
He said he found solace and purpose in adaptive sports, which played a vital role in his recovery and rehabilitation.
"Adaptive sports is not about what you can't do, it's about what you can do," he said.
He now has his sights set on competing in the next Invictus Games, with the selection camp just a few weeks away.
