For one Oak Harbor sailor, the 2026 Warrior Games started with a promise to his kids
Jun 9, 2026, 12:42 PM
A photo of Retired Parachute Rigger Petty Officer 1st Class James Shoemaker participating in a sport chair training session at a track and field training during the 2026 Team Navy Training Camp at Naval Base Ventura County-Port Hueneme, California, May 14, 2026. (Photo: Tech. Sgt. Christopher Dyer, US Air Force)
(Photo: Tech. Sgt. Christopher Dyer, US Air Force)
James Shoemaker is a retired Navy Aircrew Survival Equipmentman 1st Class, and this month, he competes from his wheelchair as part of Team Navy at the 2026 Warrior Games in San Antonio. He’s one of more than 200 wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans taking part in eight days of adaptive sports starting June 13.
The Whidbey Island sailor will compete in archery, sitting volleyball, swimming, and track against athletes from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Special Operations Command. The 2026 Warrior Games run through June 20.
An Oak Harbor Navy family on Whidbey Island
Naval Air Station Whidbey Island has shaped the community for generations, and Navy families fill the schools, the neighborhoods, and the Friday night bleachers. Shoemaker grew up with the service in his own family. His grandfather and stepfather both wore the uniform, and in 2005, he followed them into the Navy.
His service took him around the world, gave him a career, and built friendships he carried home to Washington long after he took off the uniform.
How adaptive sports became part of James Shoemaker’s recovery
According to the Navy, Shoemaker wasn’t sure adaptive sports were for him at first.
What changed his mind was his kids. He wanted to show them that a setback doesn’t have to be the end of the road, that you can get knocked down and keep going. Wheelchair basketball gave him a way back into something competitive and physical, a piece of the life he had before his injury.
It also gave him a team. The Navy said he found a circle of fellow athletes who understood what he was carrying, without him having to explain it. That sense of belonging has helped drive his recovery forward. It’s part of what’s putting him on a plane to San Antonio.
What are the Warrior Games?
Now in its 16th year, the Warrior Games are hosted by the U.S. Army Transformation and Training Command, or T2COM.
The competition is built to highlight the physical skill and mental toughness of service members and veterans living with serious wounds, illnesses, and injuries. Modified equipment and classification systems let athletes compete regardless of their condition.
The goal, in plain terms, is to use sport to drive healing and confidence, and to remind these men and women and their families that there’s life after a life-changing diagnosis.
The Navy Wounded Warrior program behind Team Navy
Team Navy is recruited, trained, and managed through the Navy Wounded Warrior adaptive athletics program. The program connects injured sailors and Coast Guardsmen with the care providers, command leaders, and peer support they need as they navigate what comes next. Sailors enrolled in the program are encouraged to make adaptive sports part of their recovery, exactly the path Shoemaker has walked.
RELATED STORIES
How to watch the 2026 Warrior Games
Fans back on Whidbey Island and across Washington can follow the action through the official livestream. More information is available here.
Charlie Harger is the host of “Seattle’s Morning News” on KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of his stories and commentaries here. Follow Charlie on X and email him here.
Follow @https://twitter.com/kirocharlie
