For Scott Winkler, nothing could have been more important than completing a lifetime of service for his country. An Army service technician who entered the military a few years after high school, Winkler, 34, took a two-year hiatus in the late '90s, only to realize he belonged in the military. But in 2003, Winkler fell off an ammo truck in Tikrit, injuring his spinal cord.

The former high school sprinter underwent years of physical therapy and rehabilitation before he discovered, six months ago, that he could not only throw the shot put and discus, but he could throw them well. And at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics, two weeks after the Olympics, Winkler could have a chance to serve the U.S. in a different way — by proving he is the best in the world. "Everybody has hidden talents somewhere along the line," he says. "I never, ever threw shot put or discus. I thought fishing was my only thing."

Winkler was one of 29 participants to attend the fifth Paralympic Military Sports Camp, held at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs from May 3-8. The camp, launched by disabled Gulf War veteran John Register in 2005, is designed to help veterans like Winkler develop and hone new athletic skills through a series of intensive clinics. "We have 24 sports on the menu that can be offered," Register says. "On the battlefield, you strive for excellence, and there are a few here that continue to do that." U.S. Paralympics national team coaches and athletes train the veterans for events like archery, sailing and volleyball, and organize competitions for participants at the end of the program, which is funded by the United States Olympic Committee.

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