COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — “I was blown up three separate times, the last one got me.”
That’s how retired U.S. Army combat engineer JP Lane recalls the moment in 2011 that nearly ended his life. He was riding in an RG-31 armored vehicle in Afghanistan when an improvised explosive device (IED) penetrated the truck, the first time in history that model had been breached.
The blast changed everything.
“Amputated both my legs in that moment, snap my pelvis in half. My spine dislocated from my pelvis, my right arm snapped in half 90 degrees. My right middle finger was amputated, but nobody needs that finger anyways,” Lane said.
Lane would go on to survive 26 surgeries and suffer 28 total injuries. But the hardest part wasn’t what happened on the battlefield; it was what followed.
“I would look to my left and there was a mirror on the wall, and I would see a monster. I would see I didn’t even recognize myself, and so it was very depressing… to the point where I almost took my life 12 times.”
A former soldier whose mission was to protect others by detecting bombs before they exploded, Lane now found himself in a fight for his own life.
In the years that followed, he found strength in faith, family, and in 2022, a new mission: the Department of Defense Warrior Games, an adaptive sports competition that brings together wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans from across the country.
According to David Pascal, Director of the Department of Defense Warrior Games, this year's event marks a major milestone.
“This year’s games, the theme is limitless. You can overcome. You’re going to be better than every expectation. I expect you to smash every personal record.”
Held in Colorado Springs after 7 years, the Warrior Games is now in its 15th year, welcoming 170 athletes from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard.
“Each service team is allowed to bring 40 athletes. Of that, 70% must still be on active duty and serving, and then they're allowed to bring in 30%, roughly 10 or 12 veterans to participate,” said Pascal.
He added “Not all of these are combat veterans. In fact, many of them are not at this point in time, but when you look at vehicle accidents, cancer survivors, ALS Lou Gehrig syndrome, multiple sclerosis, our athletes are undergoing a variety of challenges, and this highlights that the service isn't going to give up on you. You may be sick, you may be injured, but we're going to take care of you.”
Lane joined Team Army in 2024 and immediately felt the fire to push his limits.
“Since last year, we lost a team Air Force by eight points. And I love Air Force, my dad's Air Force, but that stung a little bit.”
Now in his second year competing, Lane’s focus is on progress not just his own, but the community’s.
“My goal is to help Team Army annihilate everybody. The main is literally just to have fun and encourage every single athlete.”
This year, he’s competing in a wide range of events.
“I did wheelchair basketball, seated volleyball, power lifting, archery, indoor rowing, and a couple other things that I already forgot, and I'm doing all of those, plus one this year.”
For Lane, adaptive sports have been more than therapy they’ve been transformational.
“That’s what adaptive sports does. It resets the negativity and deletes it from your mindset and pushes you forward.”
He’s learned to embrace his injuries and use them to fuel his message.
“A lot of people see this and they're like, so sorry. Oh, I'm so sorry you lost your legs. And I'm like, I'm not. I'm an inch taller,” he said jokingly. “ If we all were able to find the positive in such a negative situation, our world would be so much better. And that's what I try to do on a daily basis.”
Lane sees this year’s Warrior Games theme ‘Limitless’ as a reflection of everything he and his fellow athletes stand for.
“I mean, the motto of the Warrior Games this year is they're limitless, right? So every single one of the warriors has gone through something that should have limited them, but the fact that they're all here, being adaptive athletes is insanely awesome, and shows that they are limitless.”
The Warrior Games are free and open to the public. Pascal encourages the community to attend.
“There’s no tickets required. Feel free to come out and cheer on these athletes.”
From the chaos of combat to the camaraderie of competition, JP Lane’s message to fellow veterans and civilians alike: resilience is a team sport, and no one should fight alone.
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