ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (Deb Dixon) -- Navy veteran Kyle Welker spent five years on a submarine.
The U.S.S. Key West was stationed out of Pearl Harbor. A dramatic fall left him with intense ligament damage in his left shoulder that required two surgeries.
When I got out of the military, therapy shut down. I waited six months, started working out doing my own stuff.
That's when Kyle found Tier 2 Training here in Anderson Township. Sixty percent of the people here are veterans. Some of their injuries physical and emotional require more help than the VAN can provide, a court that helps veterans who have gotten into trouble because of what happened in war.
For Kyle, Tier 2 changed his life.
I can throw a ball again, haven't been able to throw in two years, swimming in the ocean again thats my goal.
Welker says life before Tier 2 life was full of pain.
When I was at the house can't put a cup of at the top shelf of cupboard it's discouraging and depressing. It's lifted me up a lot.
Sponsors, most of them anonymous, pay for what the vets get here. When there are new sponsors the V.A. sends another vet.
Tier 2 is about more than physical therapy. There is vet talk, veterans talk about what they're going through. And mindful yoga therapy, meditation and deep breathing reduces anxiety. But what happens after yoga is important too. Recognizing something small we're grateful for at the end of practice.
Really what we want to do is empower veterans to life, full life outside the gym.
Welker is grateful, grateful for the anonymous sponsor who allows him to come here.
I am so grateful for that person the people who sponsor a vet. Whoever it is, I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart.
Kyle Welker has plans for life after the military. He is in nursing school, pain-free and he can throw a ball again.
Anyone interested in sponsoring a vet can call Tier Two 2. That number is: 513- 568-6772.
