Romania’s team, consisting of Ionuţ Butoi, Dorin Petruţ and Nicusor-Augustin Pegulescu, has won the gold medal at the Invictus Games Toronto 2017, and Ionuţ Butoi also won the silver medal in the archery finals, compound, informs a press release from the Ministry of National Defence (MoD) on Saturday.
According to the source, Ionuţ Butoi was injured in Afghanistan in 2008. After the explosion of an improvised explosive device, the soldier was close to losing his life. He has fractured column, is paralyzed from his waist down, has diabetes because of stress, now being insulin dependent. He trains for archery, weightlifting and swimming.
Nicusor-Augustin Pegulescu was injured in 2009 in Afghanistan, the MoD also informs. He had his left foot amputated and trains for rowing in the hall, on simulator, and in archery.
Dorin Petruţ was injured in 2007 in Iraq. He has a titanium rod in his left leg, from knee to ankle, with five screws. He trains for the archery.
Until now, the Romanian team’s balance sheet at Invictus Games is a gold medal, one silver and two bronze medals.
At this year’s edition in Canada compete 550 soldiers wounded in the theatres of operations from 17 allied or NATO partner states.
photo:MoD