ABC7 Feature: Local Veteran to Compete in Invictus Games
Insights To Help Get You Back To Your Life.

About The Authors

WJLA ABC7

Share This Post

ABC7 Feature: Recovering from back surgery, local Air Force veteran to compete in Invictus Games

Authored by WJLA ABC7, Dr. Christopher Good, MD, FACS. March 31, 2022

A West Virginia Air Force veteran is set to compete in the Invictus games just months after recovering from a back surgery.

Doctors said she could barley walk or live a normal life without pain just two years ago.

Just by looking at her, you would never know the struggles Heather Wright faces on a daily basis.

“Some stuff related to my back, respiratory, chlorine exposure and other things I am not as vocal about” Wright said.

Wright is navigating life just months after recovering from a back surgery while managing an auto immune illness but she isn’t quite ready to talk about everything.

Wright explained “With this interview, I was ready to say I have a neurological disease.”

 

A West Virginia Air Force veteran, Heather Wright, is set to compete in the Invictus games just months after recovering from a back surgery. (7News)

She’s only 38-years-old but doctors say she had the back of an 80-year-old after an injury while deployed in Southeast Asia.

“We removed the damaged discs and fused the bones together and that gives heather a stable back so she can do things” Wright said.

Doctor Christopher Good at the Virginia Spine Institute calls her a warrior. Post surgery her goal was to walk just three minutes.

Now, she’s compete on an international stage at the Invictus Games representing the United States.

“So I just got picked up the beginning of this year, fresh off surgery, the head coach called and said we brought you up and I was like wow” Wright said.

She’s hoping to inspire others, that while she may appear a warrior – she still has battles.

“A lot of athletes may look normal and a lot of us have a lot going on,” Wright stated. “Just because we handle it well doesn’t mean it’s not heavy and that is what I am here to represent.”


Dr. Christopher Good is a double board certified spine surgeon and the President of Virginia Spine Institute. Established as a world expert in the field, Dr. Good has pioneered the use of robotics, navigation, and augmented reality (AR) in spine surgery. He performed the first two-level disc replacement in Metro DC, Maryland, and Virginia region, and continues to evolve motion-enhancing procedures for patients suffering from neck and back conditions. Dr. Good has been named “Top Doctor” consistently over the past decade.  Learn more about Dr. Christopher Good.

Schedule Your Consult

Schedule

About The Authors

WJLA ABC7

Dr. Christopher Good, MD, FACS

Share This Post