Former Navy communications and information systems sailor, Luke McCallum, has had a somewhat rocky time since his medical discharge from service in 2016.
However, he has since discovered indoor rowing in mid-2023 and his efforts are set on the international Warrior Games stage.
The Canberra-based father of two sons, Austin (14) and Finn (9), has embraced the sport with confidence and already has a slew of medals from various indoor rowing championships, including the Australian Indoor Rowing Championships.
Additionally, the below-knee amputee has expanded his adaptive sports repertoire to include athletics, powerlifting, shooting and sitting volleyball, which he is contesting at the Warrior Games near Orlando, Florida.
“I refer to indoor rowing as my gateway to the adaptive sports program,” Mr McCallum said.
“I just threw myself into it and things kept moving. I’ve also tried archery, dragon boating and wheelchair AFL.
“Making it to Warrior [Games] is one of my greatest accomplishments. I just don’t believe it’s real.”
Broken Hill born and raised, Mr McCallum was just shy of his 17th birthday – a few years older than his eldest son is now – when he completed the paperwork to join the Navy.
Four years later, he had an uncontrolled fall from a helicopter and plummeted 60 feet to the ground, sustaining a lower-limb injury, mainly to his ankles. Despite this, he recovered from his injuries and continued to serve his country, carrying out overseas deployments and assisting in border protection duties.
Over time, his injuries worsened and he eventually had his right leg amputated below the knee about four-and-a-half years ago following an aggressive infection.
“I’m very proud I continued to serve for much longer after the accident than I did before. In the end I clocked up just under 20 years,” Mr McCallum said, citing “unfinished business” as his primary driver.
Coincidentally, the first to hear about Mr McCallum’s Invictus aspirations was the surgeon who amputated his leg.
“I told him that I was going to go the Invictus Games as I was being wheeled into theatre,” he said.
“He was very supportive and said he would sign all the paperwork, but the amputee rehab was long and intense and the enthusiasm and motivation I had during rehab pretty much went down to zero once I got home.”
This period of anxiety and depression lasted until he was introduced to an indoor rowing program in the middle of last year.
Mr McCallum is in his element now that he has found his Warrior tribe of supportive current and former-serving servicemen and women who are not defined by their injuries.
He has almost completed his indoor rowing riggers course, which will allow him to coach. He is playing competitively in his local wheelchair AFL club, and back working and contracting to Defence. While in Florida, Mr McCallum is determined to rock up to as many events as he can to cheer on his teammates, which he knows will be reciprocated.
“I’m feeling in a really good place at the moment in all aspects of my life. I don’t know what lies ahead but I am feeling much more positive about myself and my abilities,” he said.
The 14th annual Warrior Games are underway at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida until June 30.
