Meet Adaptive Athlete: James Turrell

 

Raised with cold winters in North Norwich, NY, James didn’t know life without skiing. He started when he was only two and was more comfortable on skis than anything else. Post-graduation, he continued doing what he loved and worked as a ski instructor.

 

James joined the US Navy in 2005 and required knee surgery early in his service. James was deployed to Guantanamo Bay in 2008 followed by Afghanistan in 2010, where during the deployment, he was in a rollover crash after his vehicle was hit by an IED. As a result, he endured an injury to his neck and back that never got properly assessed.

 

He retired from service in January 2012 and had a rough transition from being at his peak in the military to not even being able to get out of bed some days because his symptoms were so bad. His physical state and lack of purpose took a toll on his mindset.

 

James is ready for a refreshed view of life, utilizing the ATF community as a catalyst for change - both for physical improvements and re-shaping his mindset. James’ long-time love of the outdoors is something he wants to get back to and his hope is to be able to do a backcountry hunt post-ATF.