Recreation Therapy as a Road to Recovery
Ret. Chief Master Sgt. Garrett Kuwada was very meticulous when he made his plan to kill himself. Being gifted with engineering skills, he’d designed and built a rig that would allow him to hang himself despite having very limited mobility.
A burst aneurism had caused a brain bleed and left him with severely diminished abilities. He was medically discharged from the Air Force and left feeling that he was no longer able to be useful to his family or his country.
“I got so depressed, and I went to a dark place where it felt like I didn’t have any options,” Kuwada said. “If it hadn’t been for a carabiner that failed, I wouldn’t be alive right now.”
Kuwada served proudly for 28 years in the Air Force. He was a postal inspector, and he was able to travel all over the Middle East, the Pacific, and Europe for work. He loved his job and stayed in the Air Force even after he was eligible to retire, because he liked to mentor the younger airmen as they came in. He was able to provide wisdom and experience. This was valuable -Kuwada said- because most airmen don’t stay in as long, so wisdom and experience are not always easy to come by.
As luck would have it, Kuwada’s last posting was in New Mexico at Kirtland Air Force Base, near a hospital with an accomplished neurosurgeon. It was his first time being stationed in the mainland since the beginning of his career. That’s when an aneurysm in his brain burst. He never knew he had an aneurysm. When it burst, he felt sick and dizzy, but had no idea why. Still, he knew something was wrong. He asked a friend to drive him to the hospital.
“When I got to the hospital I lost consciousness,” Kuwada said. “I woke up, and all of a sudden, my father and my wife were there. Even my middle son who was supposed to be in basic training was there. I couldn’t talk, but I heard the doctor telling them that I could still die if the clips they used on the arteries in my brain didn’t hold."
Things went from bad to worse for Kuwada. Though the neurosurgeon was able to save him with a new procedure that had just been developed, he had brain damage and faced serious deficits. Trying to learn to walk again, he ended up with scar tissue in his spine that paralyzed his legs. He had tremors in his hands so that he couldn’t easily feed himself. He struggled to learn to talk again. More than the physical injuries -the psychological effects of his condition began to take their toll. Kuwada had been an adrenaline junkie who spent all his vacation time skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and pursuing other extreme sports. Being confined to a wheelchair and needing to be cared for felt humiliating.
After his suicide attempt failed, Kuwada made plans to try again. However, his wife Joey Kuwada found his plans and insisted that he tell his therapist. He was immediately put into an in-patient program at the hospital. He says that it turned out to be the best thing for him. There was a bully in his group therapy sessions. Through confrontation and mentoring, he was able to force the bully to face his bad behavior and admit things he needed to work on, which in turn allowed the bully to get the help he needed. Kuwada felt that if he could still help people, then maybe he could still have a purpose in life.
“Adaptive sports came later,” Kuwada said. “The first thing was to realize that I could still find ways to be of use; to still help people and have a meaningful life.”
Later, his wife encouraged him to connect with the military programs that kept reaching out, and one of those turned out to be a solicitation for him to try out for the Air Force team that competes in the Wounded Warrior games. Kuwada was resistant at first, but once he got into a recumbent bike an felt the wind in his hair again, he knew he was hooked. He started trying out all the sports they offered and getting serious about training.
Kuwada made the Air Force team in 2019, and he went on to complete in the Wounded Warrior Games. He was named the “Heart of the Team” for his passion and commitment. Kuwada completed in 14 events, winning 8 gold medals and 5 silver medals. After the Wounded Warrior Games, he knew that adaptive sports were something that he wanted to keep doing. He tried out and got selected to compete in the Invictus Games. He wanted to compete in all the events, and he particularly enjoyed wheelchair rugby. Despite dislocating his rib and injuring his knee during a match, he felt it was the most fun of all the sports he had tried so far.
Kuwada Archery Competition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgSXowmtP1M&feature=youtu.be
At the Invictus Games, he met Prince Harry of the United Kingdom. Kuwada discovered that the Invictus Games were founded by Prince Harry. The prince was inspired after a visit to the Warrior Games in the US, where he witnessed the way that adaptive sports could help heal both the mental and physical wounds of soldiers. Prince Harry tried to get to know everyone who came to compete, even mentioning pictures from Kuwada’s Facebook page to him and asking him questions about his life.
“After we met at the games, Prince Harry actually came out and took myself and two other guys diving on the Big Island,” Kuwada said. “He’s really humble, and I think he cares a lot about helping others.”
Kuwada competed in the first annual Koa Challenge in several sports. He took home plenty of medals, but he is also humble and doesn’t like to brag. Instead, he thanked his coaches, the VA staff that helped put the games together, and the AMVETS West Oahu Center for hosting. While he likes to win, he also put a lot of effort into uplifting his team members. He likes to compete, and he wants to make sure that everyone is okay.
Though Kuwada has plenty of struggle and challenges to face in his life, he says that completing in adaptive games has brightened his outlook on life and given him things to look forward to. Ultimately, knowing that there are good things ahead is what keeps a person moving forward. That’s why these types of activities are so important for Kuwada, and for Veterans like him.
Kuwada has competed in two more Invictus Games (one in the Netherlands and one in Germany) and one more Wounded Warrior Games. He hopes to be able to participate in the Second Annual Koa Challenge, which will take place November 12, 2024, to November 16, 2024. Having a reason to train, to socialize, and to have things to look forward to is important to everyone. For Veterans like Kuwada, it’s a meaningful way to engage with the world that helps them remember why they keep going.
Kuwada Award Ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNZhLd0w3Qc&feature=youtu.be
If you are having thoughts of self-harm, please call 988, then press 1.