A couple of Newfoundlanders were part of a national team that just competed in the 2019 Warrior Games in Tampa Bay, Florida.

36 serving members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces competed in 13 sports against more than 300 ill and injured armed forces members and veterans from around the world.

Retired Captain Derek McDonald (with family, above) of St. John’s, who was struck by an Improvised Explosive Device while on service in Afghanistan, came away with both gold and silver medals for rowing.

He says Soldier On and the Warrior Games have gone a long way in helping him with his recovery. He says he took about a year to learn how to walk and deal with the effects of of a severe concussion. He says seeing he wasn’t alone and sharing his journey with others was very important.

Team Captain Warrant Officer Damian Pittman of St. Paul’s says it took a long time for him to acknowledge that he was struggling with PTSD from his time in Afghanistan.

He says people didn’t talk as much about mental health at the time. He spent four years hiding from his mental health issues, and pretending everything is okay.