Q&A with Citi Team Member Rico Roman: The Journey from Army Veteran to U.S. Paralympic Hopeful

Join us as we profile nine Team Citi athletes on the Citi Blog as part of our Every Step of the Way program.

Read Citi's interview with Rico Roman, U.S. Paralympic Hopeful in sled hockey. He supports Operation Comfort, a program that helps him and other injured veterans continue an active life.

Q: You were an Army Staff Sergeant in Iraq when a roadside bomb badly injured your legs in 2007. Tell us about how that experience impacted you.

A: It was tough adjusting to life after being injured overseas. I was a very active guy - I loved playing basketball, running around, playing soccer, you name it, so for me to be injured and have to sit in bed for a couple months was hard. For anyone suffering through a similar injury, I would say keep your head up, stay positive and don't focus on the things you can't do. Just look forward, look to the future.

Q: How did you get started with sled hockey?

A: A veteran asked me to come out and try the sport -- it was facilitated through the Operation Comfort program -- and he really had to twist my arm to make me try it. I did not want to play hockey. I didn't watch hockey or play hockey at the time, so I am really grateful that he brought me out there and encouraged me to get involved. It impacted my life in a positive way.

Q: Describe you first experience on the ice.

A: My first time on the ice was tough because I was very fast, but I couldn't turn or stop. I would go a hundred miles an hour and just run into the boards. It was difficult and the guys were laughing at me, but as time went on I got better at it. The first time I noticed I was hooked on the sport was when we started getting physical. We wore full pads just like a stand-up hockey player, and we started running into each other and that got me hooked right away.

Q: How did you stay focused when you didn't make the Vancouver squad?

A: The first time I tried out for the U.S. Paralympic team I thought 'I'm a veteran, I'm in the best shape of my life and it is going to be a breeze to make this team.' That was not the case. They were flying all around me and I thought to myself, 'I want to be on this team next year, and I want to be in the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games,' so that really fired me up. Since I didn't make that team, it really pushed me that year to work as hard as I could.

Q: What does the Operation Comfort program mean to you?

A: They do so many things for the veterans! They are at your bedside asking you to come out and do biking, when you may be thinking, 'What are you talking about? I'm missing a leg?' But they look to the things that you can do, and really try to bring that camaraderie back and to get injured veterans active. I definitely wouldn't be where I am now without them.

Learn more about how you can support Rico and the Operation Comfort program.