On the path to recovery, Wounded Warriors compete in Marine Corps Trials

Gunnery Sgt. Steven McKay said it was a humbling experience to participate in the recent Marine Corps Trials that took place Feb. 26-March 6 at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.

The Fallbrook Marine was among 165 wounded, ill or injured Marines, veterans and international athletes who competed in the annual adaptive sports invitational.

The Marines represented Wounded Warrior Battalion – West and Wounded Warrior Battalion – East. Teams from the Netherlands, Georgia, France, United Kingdom and Colombia also competed in the tournament.

Like many participants, McKay, 33, took on several sports including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, shooting and swimming. Other sports were rowing, powerlifting, sitting volleyball and track and field.

McKay said the turnout was highly competitive but had a spirit of camaraderie.

For him, the big takeaway was getting to know other survivors of war who may have suffered similar injuries and how they were getting along.

"It was very humbling to see the different skill levels and abilities of these guys, based on their injuries, and see them overcome them for a short time and push themselves to their limits," McKay said.

Part of the recovery process for Marines at Camp Pendleton's Wounded Warrior Battalion involves choosing one or more sports to compete in the trials.

McKay previously served with the 1st Marine Raider Battalion and with Cyber Protection Team 95. He suffered a spinal injury during a 2014 deployment to Afghanistan. While he doesn't need a wheelchair to walk, he has partial paralysis on his right side, constant pain and muscle atrophy.

After surgery didn't fix the issue, McKay was assigned to Wounded Warrior Battalion – West for more concentrated medical treatment.

The battalion command serves all Marines and sailors attached to Marine Corps units from west of the Mississippi River to Okinawa, Japan. At the Wounded Warrior complex on the Camp Pendleton base, support for Marines is focused on not only on medical healing but also on strengthening the Marine's mind, body, spirit and family.

Recovering service members receive a wide range of therapy options at the complex. Marines have access to medical staff, counseling and physical therapy with a gym and pool access. Other holistic treatments like acupuncture, yoga and meditation are also available to service members.

McKay said the goal is for recovering service members to recover so they can either return to service or transition to the next stage of civilian life.

First Sgt. David Bombard said injuries can take a toll on an individual's self confidence.

The point of the Marine Corps Trials is to build recovering service members back up mentally and physically.

He told the story of a Marine who felt he could no longer serve, but after a few weeks of training for the trials, came out encouraged to continue his service.

"I correlate that change to what the trials did for him," Bombard said. "The difference was night and day."

McKay grew up in San Diego and said he joined the Marines when he was 19 looking to find purpose.

"With that purpose came a lot of growing up and reality checks," he said.

While his recovery is still a work in progress, McKay said he doesn't let his injuries define him.

"I have found that if you put it into perspective and equate all the injuries you see walking through these halls, I could have had it a lot worse," he said.

Many of the RSMs live at the barracks near the wounded warrior complex and benefit from the camaraderie between other Marines experiencing the same challenges.

McKay said seeing others with more traumatic injuries is humbling and motivates him to work harder to appreciate his recovery process.

McKay lives in Fallbrook with his wife, Stephanie, 32, and their three boys. As a San Diegan, McKay grew up near the water and played water polo and swam in highschool and college, as did his wife. He's passed his love for water sports on to his kids, who all swim. His 8-year-old plays on a local water polo club team.

After his tenure, McKay plans to stay in the San Diego area and pursue a career in information technology or cybersecurity.

"Being a Marine, I went in understanding the path I took, and that there were possible consequences for making that decision. Unfortunately, some things happened that were out of my control. But I put my feet on the floor every day to make the best out of the time I have left," McKay said.