JOINT BASE LANGLEY EUSTIS, Va. – Three-time Grammy Award winner and multi-Platinum selling artist Darius Rucker will headline the Opening Ceremony at the 2022 Department of Defense Warrior Games this summer. Hosted by the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command, the Warrior Games will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Florida, Aug. 19-28.
The Opening Ceremony will take place Friday, Aug. 19, at The Stadium within the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Attendees will hear favorites from Darius’ time with Hootie & the Blowfish, as well as his solo chart-topping hits like “Wagon Wheel.”
The Warrior Games, first held in 2010, celebrates the resiliency and dedication of wounded, ill and injured active-duty and veteran military service members from the U.S. and allied nations. Hundreds of elite athletes will compete in adaptive sporting events such as wheelchair basketball, cycling, indoor rowing, sitting volleyball and others.
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which hosted the 2016 Invictus Games, as well as other professional and youth sports events, was donated for use to serve as a Warrior Games venue. This 220-acre award-winning facility features multiple indoor and outdoor competition sites and combines the spirit of sports with Disney magic, making it the perfect host venue for this year’s events.
The Warrior Games serve to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation of wounded warriors by providing them exposure to adaptive sports. Military Paralympic-style adaptive sports programs help wounded service members and veterans build strength and endurance and draw inspiration from their teammates. Participation in the Warrior Games represents the culmination of a service member’s involvement in an adaptive sports program and demonstrates the incredible potential of wounded warriors through competitive sports.
More information about the 2022 DoD Warrior Games will be available closer to the event. Learn more about the Warrior Games at DoDWarriorGames.com.
