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Warrior Games
Sergeant First Class

Valerie Watkins

Archery | Field | Powerlifting | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Track
  • Hometown

    Detroit, MI
  • Branch

    Army
  • Sport

    Archery | Field | Powerlifting | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Track

Sgt. 1st Class Valerie Watkins dedicated 15 years to the National Guard, with a deployment as a Door Runner on a Chinook helicopter to Kuwait and Iraq in 2017 and 2018.

Prior to her deployment, the 35-year-old served her community as a Peace Officer in Arlington, Texas. Upon her return, she decided to return to her home state, Michigan, to serve as a Hometown Recruiter where she made an immediate impact and became a top Ten Recruiter. She then progressed in her career and moved on to become an on Campus Recruiter at Western University. She moved to University of Michigan, followed by becoming the Station Commander prior to becoming the MEPS Guidance Counselor. Sgt.1st Class Watkins networked and moved to the National Guard Bureau where she experienced life altering health issues that led to brain surgery. A blood clot leading to a stroke two weeks later changed her life and her outlook on life forever.

While overcoming her challenges and realizing things changed, she was introduced to adaptive sports and learning that this new way of life can still be just as rewarding. With the help of a recreational therapist and SRU AR staff she broke through into the world of
adaptive sports and find herself again. Sgt. 1st Class Watkins found a a community and her mental and physical health coming back together again.

Quote:
“With the ARCP, I was able to find my community and village where I felt heard, seen, and was able to find my mental and physical health coming back together again.”

– Sgt. 1st Class Valerie Watkins

Other Teammates

Alberto Alvarez

Field | Powerlifting | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track

Luis Avila

Archery | Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Precision Air Sports

John Michael Britton

Archery | Cycling | Field | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Earlie Brown

Field | Indoor Rowing | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Jimmy Candelario

Archery | Field | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Allaijah Churchwell

Archery | Field | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Jeremy Ditlevson

Field | Indoor Rowing | Precision Air Sports | Swimming

Henry Escobedo

Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Swimming | Track

Anthony Farve

Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Amanda Feindt

Cycling | Field | Precision Air Sports | Swimming | Track

Samantha Frey

Archery | Field | Indoor Rowing | Precision Air Sports | Swimming | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Bianca Hayden

Archery | Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Powerlifting | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track

Tam Hoang

Archery | Cycling | Field | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Track

David Hong

Archery | Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Track

JP Lane

Archery | Field | Indoor Rowing | Powerlifting | Sitting Volleyball | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Kyra Maggio

Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Swimming | Track

Nathaniel Mateo

Archery | Field | Powerlifting | Precision Air Sports | Track

Colby Maury-Rice

Archery | Field | Indoor Rowing | Precision Air Sports

Jani Merritt

Archery | Powerlifting | Precision Air Sports | Swimming | Track

Channda Mitchell

Archery | Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Powerlifting | Precision Air Sports | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Rugby

Christopher Morago

Cycling | Field | Powerlifting | Swimming | Track

Alexis Pantoja

Field | Indoor Rowing | Swimming | Track

Jeffery Peters

Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Swimming | Track

Tyler Pollard

Archery | Field | Precision Air Sports | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Adam Proctor

Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Jodi Pyle-Vandersys

Archery | Cycling | Field | Precision Air Sports

Mercedes Rangel

Cycling | Field | Indoor Rowing | Track

Carlos Rivera

Field | Indoor Rowing | Powerlifting | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Sherri Sanders

Archery | Cycling | Field | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming

Avery Short

Field | Indoor Rowing | Swimming | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Jason Smith

Field | Indoor Rowing | Powerlifting | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Amy Sparks

Field | Indoor Rowing | Powerlifting | Sitting Volleyball | Swimming | Track

Derrick Thompson

Archery | Field | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Track | Wheelchair Basketball | Wheelchair Rugby

Joann Tsuhako

Archery | Cycling | Field | Precision Air Sports | Swimming

Coty Tuck

Archery | Field | Precision Air Sports | Sitting Volleyball | Track | Wheelchair Rugby