It 麻豆精品 S檚 a little early for lunch at The Tides, a buffet-style restaurant across State Road A1A from Patrick Air Force Base south of Cocoa Beach, Florida, where Staff Sgt. Kevin Greene 麻豆精品 S�17 works as a unit deployment manager for the 920th Rescue Wing. He 麻豆精品 S檚 just here to meet someone. But the buffet table catches his eye.
麻豆精品 S淎ctually, I 麻豆精品 S檝e never had lunch here, 麻豆精品 S� Greene says. 麻豆精品 S淟et 麻豆精品 S檚 see what they have. 麻豆精品 S�
He picks up a plate and starts piling it on. Chicken. Fried catfish. Corn on the cob.
麻豆精品 S淚 usually eat on base, 麻豆精品 S� he says before adding: 麻豆精品 S淚 might need to come over here more often. 麻豆精品 S�
You can 麻豆精品 S檛 help but notice how fit Greene is whether he 麻豆精品 S檚 sitting or walking, never mind the subtle limp in his stride. It 麻豆精品 S檚 no surprise when he says he 麻豆精品 S檒l work out this evening at the community center near his home in Palm Bay. Maybe he 麻豆精品 S檒l ride a stationary bike or lift weights.
麻豆精品 S淚 麻豆精品 S檒l decide later, 麻豆精品 S� he says.
It didn 麻豆精品 S檛 used to be this way with food, sports or his life.
麻豆精品 S淚 played basketball, 麻豆精品 S� Greene says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat 麻豆精品 S檚 it. Basketball. Sometimes I look back and think, 麻豆精品 S榃hy was I so closed-minded? 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
When he looks back, he always stops on the night of Dec. 17, 2014. Always. Greene 麻豆精品 S檚 friends had called him to play basketball. At the time, Greene was in the Air Force Reserves and working three jobs. He had a singular long-term goal: to go active duty once his Air Force Reserve commitment expired. For the short-term, he wanted to beat his friends on the basketball court.
On his way to the gym, he pulled up to a stoplight on his motorcycle, which he 麻豆精品 S檇 purchased to help build a credit score. He looked left. He looked right. He looked left again, and started to turn.
Eighteen hours later, Greene woke up in an intensive care unit to see people praying. He reached to feel his hands, his arms and his face. Everything felt 麻豆精品 S� OK. Then the doctor spoke.
麻豆精品 S淲e had to amputate your left foot. 麻豆精品 S�
Greene waited for the curtain to close around him. And he cried.
麻豆精品 S淚 think about the accident all the time, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S�All the time. 麻豆精品 S�
A few days after the accident, with Christmas approaching, visitors pretty much stopped coming to the hospital. Greene spent Christmas, New Year 麻豆精品 S檚 and Valentine 麻豆精品 S檚 Day alone. He stayed in the hospital for three months, and was then in and out until June 2015 because of infections. Doctors gradually had to take more of his leg.
But he lost much more.
麻豆精品 S淚 lost my ambition, my purpose, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淭hat was the worst part. I pushed people away. My debt piled up because I lost my jobs. The idea of going full-time Air Force was out the window. I just closed myself off. 麻豆精品 S�
He credits the basketball team he coached at Palm Bay High School for prying him open again. They convinced Greene to help them. Just moving around, even on crutches, became therapeutic. He then landed a job at the community center in Melbourne, where the kids showed no mercy.
麻豆精品 S淭hey 麻豆精品 S檇 get me into games and start trash talking, 麻豆精品 S� says Greene. 麻豆精品 S淭hey didn 麻豆精品 S檛 care I was on one good leg. It 麻豆精品 S檚 exactly what I needed. It made me realize that I 麻豆精品 S檓 capable. I can play. I can compete. 麻豆精品 S�
His newfound drive sent him through self-imposed mental walls. He grew as a coach and started to hang out with friends again. He kept moving. New purposes began to emerge, as he says, 麻豆精品 S渨ays to live, love and give back. 麻豆精品 S�
While on college campuses with the basketball team for summer camps, Greene decided he should build on his associate 麻豆精品 S檚 degree and complete his bachelor 麻豆精品 S檚 in criminal justice, which he did thanks to UCF Online. He also earned a certificate as a registered behavioral technician so he could work full-time with autistic children. He returned to duty at Patrick Air Force Base. He married his girlfriend, Domonique Oneal-Greene. And on Jan. 17, 2017, he became the dad of a beautiful baby girl 麻豆精品 S� Gianna.
All along, he also got into the best shape of his life. In late 2017, Greene met the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. David Goldfein, who told him about the Air Force Wounded Warrior Program (AFW2) and its adaptive-sports program. Greene listened, but…
麻豆精品 S淲hen it came to sports, my mind was still closed. I thought, 麻豆精品 S業 麻豆精品 S檓 normal. I don 麻豆精品 S檛 need adaptive sports. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�
It wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 until September 2018 that he accepted the idea, at least enough to attend an Air Force Wounded Warrior CARE event near Seattle, at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. There, he learned about resiliency, empowerment, caregiving and seizing opportunities. Those opportunities happened to include adaptive sports.
麻豆精品 S淚 thought, 麻豆精品 S榃ait. With this, I can play basketball, but I can also do a lot more, 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S� he says.
Greene took up floor volleyball, track, cycling, rowing and wheelchair basketball. Less than a year after participating in those sports, he entered the Department of Defense Warrior Games in Tampa. Against the best adaptive military athletes from the U.S. and five other countries, Greene hauled in six gold medals, two silvers and a bronze.
At the end of the week, a woman approached Greene and said something very simple yet very profound for him: 麻豆精品 S淵ou 麻豆精品 S檙e an athlete. 麻豆精品 S�
Greene looks across the lunch table with energy in his eyes. He again repeats: 麻豆精品 S淚 think about the accident all the time. 麻豆精品 S�
What if I hadn 麻豆精品 S檛 survived?
麻豆精品 S淭he thought drives me to try new things. I 麻豆精品 S檓 genuinely happy to be here at this moment, in this restaurant. Before, I just thought of myself as a basketball player. Now I can work with kids who have autism. I have a degree from UCF. I 麻豆精品 S檓 an airman. A husband. A father. I have so much purpose now. 麻豆精品 S�
It just so happens that Kevin Greene is an athlete, too.
Three days after being interviewed for this story, Greene received word that he 麻豆精品 S檚 earned a spot on Team USA for the Invictus Games in the Netherlands in May 2020. He will be one of 65 athletes from U.S. military branches competing against service members from 18 nations.
