COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO — When Michael Ternus looks at the weight bar sitting over a bench press, he sees more than just a piece of heavy steel. Ternus, also known as Coach Bull, is the powerlifting coach for Team Air Force at the Warrior Games for wounded, ill or injured members of the military.
Ternus also happens to be a Texas A&M graduate, and a man that understands how important a weight room can be in a warrior's life. Getting a warrior in the weight room, however, is sometimes the biggest obstacle.
"Getting in on that bench can be a little bit of a challenge at first," Coach Bull said. "It's a little bit of an intimidation factor. They're staring at the bear, and they're not really sure if they can lift that bar."
Coach Bull understands that a weight bar can be intimidating at first, but he also understands how powerful a tool it can be in recovery.
"The bar doesn't care if you had a bad day," Coach Bull said. "The bar does not care if you had bumper-to-bumper traffic. But the positive is that the bar will never go anywhere. The bar will wait here for you until you decide you're ready to tackle it."
And when a warrior does finally make the decision to get back into the weight room, Coach Bull says that the person learns quickly that he or she is stronger than they think.
"They feel a lot like Sisyphus," Bull said. "They're pushing that bolder up the hill every day, it falls off... they get frustrated."
When a warrior realizes that he or she can get back into shape, it's that weight bar that becomes another asset in the healing process.
"The bar is probably even better than your dog when it comes to being loyal," Coach Bull said. "It will always be happy to see you and always be ready to get back into action."
When a person comes into Coach Bull's weight room, he says they have a motto. There's nothing you do in life, that you can't do better, and that's exactly what these warriors are doing every day.
"The bar will not get off that rack without you grabbing it and forcing the issue," Coach Bull said. "If you want your soul back, and you want your life back on your terms, you do have to get out, and you have to push yourself."