Warrior Team Member Spotlight : John Masters

John celebrating after the 2012 Marine Corps Marathon

My name is John Masters and I was wounded in Afghanistan in 2010.  After being evacuated to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C.,  I spent the next several months laying in a hospital bed, thinking the usual thoughts one thinks in that situation.  As doctors informed me that the damage to my severely injured right hand was worse than initially thought and that they weren't sure how much, if any of it could be salvaged, my mind was ravaged with depression, concern, doubt and worry.  Having primarily physical actives as hobbies, I foresaw my future being bleak and boring, and saw rock climbing, cycling, weight lifting, racquetball and basically everything else I enjoyed as things of the past. 

This however was not the case. 

Through a long road of physical rehabilitation and lots of support from caring and compassionate people, I have been able to find adaptive means to still enjoy and peruse just about every interest I previously had. No one was more instrumental in this process than my friends at Hope For The Warriors®.  Their comforting and encouraging staff was at my bedside from the earliest stages of my recovery, wishing me well and letting me know of the opportunities awaiting me in the near future.  While lying in that bed thinking my physically active lifestyle was all but behind me, I had no idea that a year from then I would be crossing the finish line of my first marathon as part of Team Hope For The Warriors®.  Since that race, Hope For The Warriors® has continued to be an integral aspect of my recovery process. Whether it be competing with their athletic division or participating in one of their social events, I am always surrounded by positive encouragement and friendly faces that remind me just how blessed and lucky I am.  The benefit of being a member of Team Hope For The Warriors® is twofold as it is an avenue to maintain physical fitness but even more meaningful is the benefits to my spirit. 

Salute The Military Traithlon

Through this program I have made friendships that will last a life time and I been granted the opportunity to interact with some of the most amazing people I've ever met, both Hope For The Warriors® staff as well as other veterans I have met through the Team.  My once bleak attitude has been transformed as Hope For The Warriors® has filled me with a new outlook; one of excitement, friendship and hope.  They truly were the silver lining to my injury's storm.  No longer am I concerned with the challenges that come along with not having two fully functional hands because I know if I ever need one, Hope For The Warriors® will be there to lend me one.

John receiving the Hope & Courage Award at the 2012 Got Heart Give Hope Gala