May 2012 -- Representing their respective services, more than 200 wounded, ill or injured service members converged on Colorado Springs, Colo., in early May to compete in the 2012 Warrior Games where the Marine Corps won 89 medals to claim the coveted Chairman’s Cup for the third time.
Team member Captain Jonathan S. Disbro, who currently serves as a Program Support Officer for technical, service-oriented architectures at Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity, was—for the second time— the Warrior Games’ Pentathlete winner, garnering five medals (two silver/three bronze), the “Ultimate Champion” crown, and the attention of the First Lady, Michelle Obama during the Warrior Games’ opening ceremonies.
Commenting on the ability and courage of all the competitors and their ability to overcome obstacles after a setback, the First Lady exemplified her remarks with the athletic prowess and successes of Capt. Disbro, who was wounded in Iraq in 2004 and after 18 surgeries on his foot and ankle, had his leg amputated below the knee.
“…Today he’s the reigning Warrior Games Ultimate champion for his performances in swimming, shooting, sprinting, biking and shot put,” said Mrs. Obama.
“Captain Disbro and all the Marines who competed have achieved remarkable feats and should be justifiably proud,” said Colonel Christopher Snyder, MCTSSA’s Commanding Officer. “Through his personal sacrifice, dedication, and motivation—as well as the support of his wife Jennifer as well as other family members who attended the games—Captain Disbro excelled and finished in the finals of all five different Pentathlon sports, as opposed to being an elite athlete in one sport. Couple that athletic achievement with the adversity and challenge that he and the other competitors have come through and you certainly get a perspective to the great positive outlook all of them have on life, underscore by the fact that Disbro remains a very humble Marine.”
After six days of intense competition, the 2012 Warrior Games came to an end, and Captain Disbro claimed his second consecutive Ultimate Champion award, amassing twice as many Pentathlon competition points as the individual who came in second, as well as an additional bronze medal for the 4-man by 50-meter freestyle swimming team relay.
When asked on how he felt about winning, Captain Disbro’s answer was simple: “good”. After pausing for a moment, he went on to say “…what I enjoyed most was watching my teammates, my fellow Marines, competing in their events. For many, this was their first time. The excitement of having prepared for so long, so much time and energy into what they were doing, and then watching them compete—give a million percent—and win was the most rewarding thing for me.”
Captain Disbro, from San Jose, Calif., is married with two children and has served 20 years in the U.S. Marine Corps. In the 2011 Warrior Games, Captain Disbro also won the gold in the 30-kilometer bike cycling race and shot put. During this year’s Warrior Game Trials held at Camp Pendleton, he also ran the 1500-meter (0.932 miles) race, crossing the finish line with a time of 5:17.