What do you do when you face a life changing illness, injury or wounds? What thoughts go through your mind when you hear doctors tell you they have no idea why this happened to you?
2011, I was on a schedule military deployment, my career was soaring, I had just commissioned the year before after spending the previous 12 years enlisted. It started out just as any other deployment, preparing for multi-national exercise before heading over to provide support for combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. March 11, 2011, a devastating 9.0 earthquake and tsunami ravaged the shores of Northern Japan crippling the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant setting in motion, the worst nuclear disaster in history. Following the news of the earthquake and tsunami, the Carrier Strike Group was relocated from the exercise and placed off the coast of Japan to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced Japanese citizens, known as Operation TOMODACHI. Upon the Strike Groups completion in Operation TOMODACHI, we would continue on with our scheduled deployment supporting combat operations until relived and returned home in September 2011.
Prior to our return, I had received orders to transfer upon returning to Washington, DC where I would assume the duties as an Executive Assistant for a Senior Executive within the Department of the Navy. It was shortly thereafter, my life changed; my career and life was hanging in the balance. Less than 9 months after participating in Operation TOMODACHI, I began to experience health problems that consisted of blacking out behind the wheel of my SUV, unexplained weight loss, uncontrollable fevers, night sweats, tremors, wiping hair from my body when showering, and swollen lymph nodes. During my second hospitalization muscles began to fail, starting in the legs and ascending. As the months passed by and my condition continued to worsen, it seemed no end was in sight. Some doctors began telling my wife she should consider making arrangements, as there was no clear prognosis.
By now, it was clear my military career was over and the future was uncertain. As months turned into years, and now medically retired from the Naval service and a T3 paraplegic the struggles seemed to continue; my darkest days were upon us. By the latter part of 2014, I had sunk into a state of depression that was slowly destroying me and my family; my marriage was on the verge of failing and I seemed to have no purpose to continue, I was ready for the pain to stop. I was then given an ultimatum to either get busy living or get busy dying but I had to choose one.
So what do you do when the future is uncertain? What do you do when your wife tells you need to get busy living or get busy dying? Well, that was a year and a half ago and I’m still here… I have a greater purpose!
I do not know what my future holds as the level of my injury continues to ascend. The one thing I do know for certain, I will continue to compete and train until I am no longer able. I have no idea when that day may be, but until then, I will be on the road, track, range or basketball courts doing what I love!
I became the master of my fate; I became the captain of my soul!!!!!
– Steven Simmons
USA Invictus Team Member
Dedicated to:
My lovely wife Summer and our three children
Navy Wounded Warrior/Safe Harbor who’s adaptive sports program saved my life
HRH Prince Harry for creating the Invictus Games
The Fisher House Foundation
Help Our Military Heroes (HOMH)
Semper Fi Fund and Team Semper Fi
Independence Fund
Challenged Athletes Foundation – Operation Rebound
My brother Mark Urquhart, a true champion and example of the Invictus Spirit
My brothers and sisters of Team Navy and the USA Invictus Team
My brothers and sisters in arms around the world
My friend Heidi for encouraging me to write this
The doctors, Occupational Therapists and Physical Therapists who have kept me going
Juzo for providing the compression products used to get me through my days
Those seeking for their reason