Marine overcomes illness, brain surgery to compete in regional athletic trials

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    CAMP LEJEUNE (WLOS) — The regional Marine Corps trials aboard Camp Lejeune are held at Wounded Warrior Battalion-East, where wounded, ill, and injured marines and sailors are battling it out in a number of athletic events for a chance to compete in the department of defense warrior games.

Corporal Duncan Rutherford was one of seven competitors in the rowing competition.

“It’s an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” he said, “To me, it’s an opportunity to show the progress I’ve made in my own personal recovery as well as to represent the battalion and the detachment in their support of my recovery.“

He was stationed in Okinawa two years ago when he found out he had Cushings Disease, caused by a tumor in his brain.

And his road to recovery was not an easy path to travel.

“There was a period of time when it seemed like there was no possible way for me to return to service,” he explained, “Recently, as in two months ago, I passed my first fitness test in three years and that was the deciding factor to say ‘hey, this isn’t over yet. If I can pass today, then I can pass tomorrow.”

Just a year and a half after brain surgery and with only one month of training, Rutherford rowed more than 1,000 meters on Friday.

While he didn’t win a medal in the Friday rowing event, Rutherford expects to place in the archery event next week.

He says competing in the Marine Corps trials was an opportunity to show the progress he has made in his own personal recovery and to represent those in the USMC who have supported him along the way.

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