Ninety current and former U.S. service members will represent the U.S. at the 2017 Invictus Games in Toronto this September, including several athletes who've already claimed gold at the international event for wounded warriors, as well as in other elite competitions.
Seventeen nations will send teams to Toronto for the third Invictus Games, which began in London in 2014 and continued in Orlando, Florida, in 2016. The event's founder, Prince Harry, created the concept after a 2013 visit to the Warrior Games, which features U.S. service members — active, former and retired — in similar athletic events.
Air Force Capt. Christy Wise will serve as team captain, the Defense Department announced last month in a release naming the competitors. Marine Sgt. Ivan Sears will serve as co-captain. Among the elite athletes on the squad are Army Sgt. Elizabeth Marks and retired Navy Lt. Bradley Snyder, who've both earned swimming gold at the Paralympic Games.
Swimming is one of a dozen adaptive sports set for the Toronto event (Sept. 23-30). Others are archery, indoor rowing, road cycling, seated volleyball, track and field, and wheelchair versions of basketball, tennis and rugby. New for this year is adaptive golf.
Last year's event included opening ceremonies broadcast on ESPN that featured Prince Harry, first lady Michelle Obama, singer James Blunt and multiple performances by U.S. military musicians. ESPN's unofficial medal count gave Team USA 145 total medals during the event, edging out Team UK (128).
The 2017 U.S. team:
Retired Army Sgt. Roosevelt Anderson
Retired Marine Lance Cpl. Robert Anfinson
Retired Marine Lance Cpl. Timothy Bergenstock
Retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Nathaniel Bias
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Matthew Branch
Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Kyle Burnett
Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Jim Castaneda
Retired Army Maj. Ivan Castro
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jason Caswell
Air Force Staff Sgt. Vince Cavazos
Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Andrew Cordova
Retired Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Nathan Dewalt
Army Col. Daniel Dudek
Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Dusseau
Army Capt. Kelly Elmlinger
Retired Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Roel Espino
Retired Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Matthew Estes
Retired Army Sgt. Brandi Evans
Air Force 1st Lt. Sarah Frankosky
Retired Marine Cpl. Dustin Gabehart
Marine Gunnery Sgt. Dorian Gardner
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Randi Gavell
Retired Marine Cpl. Gabriel Gehr
Air Force Capt. Cal Gentry
Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Jesse Graham
Retired Marine Lance Cpl. Matt Grashen
Retired Marine Sgt. Gabby Graves-Wake
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Robert Green
Retired Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathaniel Hamilton
Retired Marine Cpl. Jessica Hammack
Navy Lt. Ramesh Haytasingh
Retired Air Force Master Sgt. Reese Hines
Retired Army Sgt. Sean Hook
Army Sgt. 1st Class Brant Ireland
Air Force Master Sgt. Keith Jackson
Retired Coast Guard Lt. Sancho Johnson
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Sean Johnson
Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Melissa Klotz
Retired Navy Petty Officer 1st Class John Kremer
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Curtis Krenzke
Retired Army Sgt. Stefan Leroy
Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Fred-Curtis Lewis
Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Josh Lindstrom
Retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Sebastiana Lopez-Arellano
Army Staff Sgt. Michael Lukow
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Ryan Major
Retired Marine Master Sgt. Mark Mann
Army Sgt. Elizabeth Marks
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Lara Mastel
Retired Marine Sgt. Anthony McDaniel
Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Shawn Mello
Retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Aimi Mlekoday
Retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jessica Moore
Army Spc. Stephanie Morris
Retired Navy Lt. Joan Mulligan
Retired Marine Sgt. Michael Nicholson
Army Lt. Col. Dave O'Hearn
Retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Sven Perryman
Retired Army Spc. Anthony Pone
Retired Air Force Tech. Sgt. Adam Popp
Army Maj. James Pradke
Retired Air Force Senior Airman Lucas Purser
Retired Marine Cpl. Jose Ramos
Retired Army Sgt. Haywood Range
Retired Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Ryan Reese
Retired Army Capt. William Reynolds
Retired Army Staff Sgt. Issac Rios
Retired Air Force Staff Sgt. Patrick Roberts
Retired Marine Cpl. Sarah Rudder
Retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Howie Sanborn
Army Sgt. 1st Class James Sandoval
Retired Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Henry Sawyer
Retired Marine Gunnery Sgt. Brian Scarbrough
Marine Sgt. Ivan Sears
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Ben Seekel
Retired Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Shannon
Retired Air Force Senior Airman Trent Smith
Retired Navy Lt. Bradley Snyder
Retired Army Sgt. Aaron Stewart
Retired Marine Cpl. Kionte Storey
Army Sgt. 1st Class Yancy Taylor
Retired Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Toth
Retired Marine Staff Sgt. Felipe Tremillo
Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Robert Troha
Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Hector Varela
Retired Army Master Sgt. Mark Vomund
Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brian Williams
Retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer James Wilson
Air Force Capt. Christy Wise
Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Sharona Young
Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.