Paving the road to recovery with sports

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) - After being forced into retirement due to life-altering injuries, Marine Corps veteran Donald Burns found a new path to recovery through sports, transforming his challenges into a source of inspiration for fellow veterans and athletes alike.

“I did 21 years in the Marine Corps - five combat deployments between Afghanistan and Iraq and the Arabian Gulf,” Burns said.

Over those years, he committed himself to protecting his country, but that service came at a significant personal cost.

In 2004, Burns sustained severe injuries during a rocket attack while his unit was conducting perimeter security.

“My face got crushed up against the front of the bed against the front of another marine’s helmet," he said. "I suffered a traumatic brain injury. I had my entire face crushed."

Though he eventually recovered, another devastating injury followed years later.

“In 2012, I ended up getting hurt again doing some training here in beautiful Yuma, Arizona. I got a Lisfranc injury and snapped the ligament in half - tore all the ligaments and tendons across the bottom of the foot and displaced the bone. My foot ended up going necrotic, and then I had to have it amputated eventually,” Burns explained.

After more than two decades in the military and the toll it had taken on his body, Burns’ service came to an end.

“With all of my injuries, the Marine Corps said the best place for me to be is retired,” he said.

However, retirement did not mark the end of his journey. With support from the Marine Corps, Burns was introduced to adaptive sports, which quickly became central to his recovery.

“Adaptive sports, for me, has been everything for my recovery. I thought sports was over, you know, coming out and doing adaptive sports with my injuries - I can still compete. I can still feel that team portion of it, and that camaraderie, and so, I think I’ll be doing team sports forever,” he said.

Burns has since found success in multiple disciplines. He competed at the Wounded Warrior Games in 2019, earning a gold medal in recurve archery while also participating in wheelchair rugby, wheelchair basketball, shooting, and archery.

“I just got selected again this year, so I’m going back to the Wounded Warrior Games for 2026,” he said.

At this year’s competition, Burns will represent Team Marine Corps in several events, including seated volleyball, pistol, rifle, swimming, and his returning disciplines, as he aims to add to his collection of two gold medals and a plethora of others. In addition, he competed in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association championship tournament as a member of the San Diego-based Wolfpack team. With the Wolfpack, he won a national championship in 2024.

Beyond competition, Burns has also rediscovered his passion for golf with the help of Semper Fi & America’s Fund, which connected him with a local instructor.

“When you’re an able-bodied person, your swing is different. When you’re an amputee, your swing completely changes. Your entire game changes, and so for me, I didn’t know how to do that,” he said.

That guidance proved especially meaningful because his coach, Mark Croft, is also an amputee.

“Golf was definitely something I thought I was never gonna be able to do again, you know, with only one foot. Being that the golf pro was an amputee, showing me that I could still do it, I mean, it was everything,” Burns said.

Through every challenge and achievement, Burns believes sports can play a vital role in helping others transition out of military service.

“You don’t have to be the best. You don’t have to be the greatest that’s ever been, but the community is amazing. They bring you right out of your shell, so even though it’s just easier to sit at home and stare at the walls, you can still be alive. You can still be part of a team. You can get that camaraderie piece of it,” he said.

Now, with his focus set on the upcoming Wounded Warrior Games in June, Burns is also aiming higher - working toward qualifying for international competition at the 2027 Invictus Games in Birmingham.

Once a dedicated Marine, Burns continues to serve as an example of resilience, proving that through sport, recovery and purpose remain within reach.