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Interview with Robbie Walters

Robbie Walters

Where are you originally from?
Newfoundland, Canada.

What made you decide to serve in the US Military?
I wanted to serve ever since I was a kid, it was my dream job.

What branch of the military did you serve in?
United States Marine Corps.

Why did you choose that branch?
Everything they stand for, the brotherhood, the drive to be the best of the best, the mentality of the USMC being ”earned, never given.”

Where were you stationed?
Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.

Did you serve in OIF, OEF, or OND? If so, did you sustain any combat related injuries? If you feel comfortable, please tell me some of your experiences overseas, and any injuries you sustained.
OEF, 2012-2013, 3rd Bn 9th Marines, Combat Photographer, Southern Helmand Province, Afghanistan.

Robbie with NC Warriors

You are a member of the NC Warriors hockey team — how did you find the Warriors program? What encouraged you to join?
Word of mouth from a friend. I played hockey as a kid and was planning to get back into the sport once I was out of the Marines, once I heard about the NC Warriors I signed up immediately.

Have you always been a fan of hockey?
Yes, since I was born. Hockey is huge in Canada.

What is your favorite team?
I grew up watching and following the Hartford Whalers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens — once the Whalers became the Carolina Hurricanes I continued to follow them as well and they’re my favorite team.

Who is your favorite hockey player, and why?
99, Gretzky. No debate.

Did you play hockey before the NC Warriors?
Yes. I stopped playing around 14 years old when I moved to the United States.

You sustained a life altering accident 8 months ago. If you feel comfortable, tell me a little about the accident.
A man wasn’t paying attention and failed to yield to the right of way on-coming traffic (me) and hit me. It launched me off my motorcycle approximately 40 feet. My left foot was severed on impact and not reattachable. It also shattered my left femur clean in half and I also sustained a back fracture along with numerous scrapes, cuts and bruises.

Robbie Prosthetic Skate

You recently were able to get on the ice and skate for the first time on your prosthetic skate — how was that experience? It must have been a very emotional experience, how did you feel before, during, and after that first skate? I was there, you did amazing, and I was so proud of you!
Honestly, given everything from the accident that I’ve been having to go through, it was an amazing experience. It felt great to be back out on the ice, feel the coldness of it, the smells of the rink, the sounds of the sticks on ice, it was amazing. Before the skate, I was super nervous and worried I would be terrible and end up realizing I’d end up having to hang up my skates and never play again, but once I got out there it wasn’t so bad and although difficult and felt really weird skating on a prosthetic it just fueled my drive even more to get back to playing and putting in the effort to get back to my skill level pre-accident.

Robbie on Ice with prosthetic Skate

What are some of the things the team has done for you, to support you, and keep your morale up after the accident?
This team has done more for me than can be put into words. The brotherhood, the friendships I’ve formed, the instant “I can lend a hand with that, no problem” whenever something arises that I need help with. They’re more than just teammates to me… they’re family. The outpouring of support from them after my accident helped keep me going and keep my spirits up to want to get back out on the ice.

Robbie's First Skate with Prosthetic

What are some things you hope to see in the future with the NC Warrior hockey team?
More members. We’re growing so fast and I love it. I love seeing how many veterans are taking an interest in wanting to learn how to play and grow the sport. No better sport exists.

How has being a part of this team affected you personally?
It has brought back a sense of brotherhood I thought I wouldn’t experience anymore since I left the Marines. It’s a great morale booster being able to be around people who have gone through similar experiences as you and be able to relate to it. From the stories to the jokes to the instant willingness to help one another without thinking twice, there’s nothing like it.

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Interview with Donald Urbany

Donald Urbany Closeup

Today we’re interviewing 38-year-old Donald Urbany. He lives in Mebane, North Carolina with his wife and 4 boys. Donald is an avid hockey fan and player. He currently plays with the NC Warriors and Huge Dekes Hockey team. Donald is a combat-wounded veteran who lost his right eye in Iraq as result of a car bomb attack. He overcomes the ability to only see out of one eye when he puts on his goalie helmet and steps out on the ice and stops the pucks that come flying at him from all sides of the ice.

NC Warriors

How long have you been playing hockey?
25 years.

What sparked your interest in hockey?
The Red Wings were starting to come out of the Dead Wings era of the ’70s and ’80s and all of us kids wanted to learn to play.

What was the first hockey team you played on?
My first team was a roller hockey team named the Roller Wings.

Did you play any other sport? Why did or didn’t you pursue that sport if you did?
Baseball was my first sport and I played both for a long time but the intensity of hockey kept my love for it more than baseball.

Why did you choose the position of goaltender?
As a child all of my friends loved playing street hockey and no one wanted to be the goalie as they were scared of the tennis ball we were using and since I played baseball I chose to play and I never looked back.

What types of experiences have you had through the years of playing hockey?
I have met famous hockey players like Alex Ovechkin, Olaf Kölzig, and many members of the Washington Capitals. I have played many tournaments in other states like Philadelphia and Nevada, so I have had the opportunity to travel more than I ever had before.

What was your first Warrior experience?
I started the original USA Warriors at Walter Reed in 2005. A couple of guys and I would have ice time donated to us at a local ice rink in Washington DC. We would just skate around and pass the puck. Various local teams would donate equipment to us, and eventually more people joined us, creating the team. We played against some local teams in the Washington DC area.

How long were you with that Warrior team?
I did some things with the USA Warriors through the years after I left Washington DC, but for the most part, I wasn’t officially part of the team anymore after I left. I was with them for about 3 years.

After that experience, what did you do to keep hockey an active part of your life?
I would join and play for any team that was looking for a goalie. I stayed on a local Hillsborough team for some time, we were called the Tropical Depressions.

How and when did you find the NC Warriors hockey team?
I am one of the first members of the team as Travis Harris had made a post on a local hockey page looking for veterans to start a Warriors hockey team.

What’s your jersey number, does it have any significance?
My number is now 29 — I used to be 30 after one of my favorite players, Chris Osgood. I wore that number because of Osgood and my birthday is the 30th of September, but after I had my 2nd child I changed to 29 as my first child was born on the 29th of April and the 2nd kid was born on 10-19 so I wanted to change my number to honor my children.

Number 29

Are you involved in any of the other teams?
I play for the Huge Dekes. I was just recently invited to play goalie for this team by Alex Kirchhoff, who is also on the NC Warrior team.

Is your family actively involved and supportive of you playing hockey and your hockey teams?
Yes, very. My wife and children come to every event possible. Whether just a practice or a game my wife is handling them in the stands and trying to watch me engage in my passion.

If they can’t make it my wife stays home with them even though it can be hard on her. She is a stay-at-home mom and is not only my caregiver — she cares for them almost around the clock. She hardly has time for herself and tries to be very understanding.

The Urbanys

Do you use hockey as a form of therapy?
I mainly use it as a bonding experience, until the NC Warriors were formed, I didn’t have any military peers to interact with.

Who is your all-time favorite hockey player, and why?
I don’t really have a favorite player. I love the game so much I enjoy watching anyone, as long they don’t play for the Montreal Canadians.

Anything else you would like to add?
I enjoy every moment I am with the NC Warriors on and off the ice. We have developed a great family platform and hope it never ends.

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An Interview with Travis Harris – North Carolina Warriors Hockey

Nikki and Travis harris
Nikki and Travis Harris

Travis G. Harris is the Founder/President of North Carolina Warriors.
He is a Retired 2nd Class Petty Officer.

What inspired you to create a North Carolina Warrior hockey team for veterans?

I came across a post in a veteran Facebook group, and growing up in Upper Michigan, hockey has always had a special place in my heart. Being able to couple that with giving back to other disabled veterans was an easy decision to make. I created this program, not so much as to create a big family, but more so to bring veterans together. After about 18 months of this program being in existence, it has grown far beyond the ice. These brothers and sisters have become good friends, building bonds that you had with your active duty brothers/sisters.

What were some challenges you had to overcome to get the team together?

The biggest challenge was bringing together people from different branches, with different mentalities, and different skill levels. Then add in the fact they do not all live in the Raleigh area and some are driving 2-4 hours to come play.

How did you get the word out about trying to put this team together?

Due to the fact that I was currently coaching youth travel hockey, and playing on 3 different adult league teams, I practically lived at the rink. Once I got it going, I posted in a local hockey Facebook group and that is how I met Donald Urbany who had already been playing for another USA Hockey Warrior program in Maryland. After that, I started posting in local community pages, veteran groups, and word of mouth around the rink spread quick of what we were doing.

About how many players are on the NC Warriors?

As of November 9th, 2020, we have 64 rostered disabled veterans, and 2 volunteer coaches.

Are they all from North Carolina?

All but 2 of them reside in North Carolina, the other 2 live in South Carolina.

NC Warriors Team Photo with opponents
NC Warriors Team Photo with opposing team

Do you have any long-term goals for the team? If so, what are they?

To continue to grow the program, to give back to our local communities, to give back to the veteran families in our state, and to spread the word about the greatest game in the world. Eventually we would like to create a youth hockey program that mixes veteran families with local families. A big dream of mine would be to eventually own a hockey rink of our own, that’s a stretch but it’ll be something I will always strive for.

Do you feel like you have reached most of not all of your short term goals for the team?

Looking at other USA Hockey Warrior programs around the country, I think we have progressed and grown a lot faster than most other programs and that is thanks to our members and the amazing support we get from everyone.

What has been the most rewarding part of the team thus far?

Seeing the joy on their faces on and off the ice, and the feedback I get from their families on how much this program has changed their behavior at home. I never created this program for recognition or for glory, I don’t even like taking credit for things that I do, I just like to be able to give back and know that I’ve made a difference in someone’s life.

What was the inspiration behind the Warriors logo?

The thought behind the team logo had come from the biggest military icon in North Carolina, BB-55 USS North Carolina, the most decorated warship during WWII.

How do you promote bonding with the guys on the team on and off the ice? What about the wives and girlfriends, are they close? Do you think this program has given them a good support system and group of friends as well?

We stress, over and over, that the mission of this program is always brotherhood/sisterhood first, on and off the ice. Winning is a hard thing to get military veterans not to focus on, due to our competitive nature, but over time as they are in the program longer, they start to realize what we have and leave the anger or discouragement on the ice. The wives/girlfriends have started growing closer, they had a wife’s night out this past December and have started their own Facebook group chat to keep in touch. This program has given a lot of people something to look forward to, and the friendly military banter that everyone remembers is right there with the friendship.

What is the most important thing you want to accomplish with the NC Warriors?

I want to continue finding disabled veterans that miss that brotherhood, whether they play the game of hockey or not, and show them how therapeutic playing a team sport with like-minded veterans can be. Our reach throughout the state of North Carolina is not as vast as I would like it to be. I would like to get to the point where we have a team in each major city throughout the state, where they can build up themselves to self-support while still being a part of the overall North Carolina Warriors program. This program is so much more than I could have ever expected it to grow into. I started it because I wanted to create a veteran hockey team and travel around and play other teams, this program has turned into one giant family. These veterans in the program will drop whatever they are doing to help out another member, even if they’ve never met that person before, and that’s something I never thought I’d see come from this program.

North Carolina Warriors Hockey

North Carolina Warriors Hockey

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Website: https://www.northcarolinawarriors.com