Like parents tend to be, Meada Maury-Dockery was proud of her son going off into the military after high school, but it wasn’t without a bit of trepidation. Her son Colby, a twin to his sister Courtney, was gung-ho to join the world’s finest fighting force.
“He was so focused on joining the Army and ready to do it. We had conversations about it, and I was like, I just really want you to go to college, but even if you’re going to the Guard, you can still go to college, and then you can go active duty, and he agreed with me on that!”
When the unthinkable happened, she learned very quickly how the Army truly embraced her son. 18-year-old Pfc. Colby Maury-Rice, who wanted to be a combat medic, had a stroke.
“It was very scary. The ER doctor told me it did not look good, and they weren’t sure Colby would make it. I told her OK. You just don’t know the God that I serve,” said Colby’s mom.
Colby was in a coma for two months, and he came out of it. “I was just amazed, and oh my goodness, I was just so grateful for the hospitals and the Soldier Recovery Unit. I didn’t really know what his mental status would be, but I’m very grateful that he is still able to move, and he can still think,” she said.
Pfc. Maury-Rice recovered at the Fort Benning Soldier Unit in Columbus Georgia. “I was actually left in a terrible state when it happened. I had to relearn everything like how to walk, talk, and just function in everyday life,” said Maury-Rice, who had the stroke on August 12, 2023.
His infectious attitude is one he learned from his mother. “My mom always says you have to laugh to keep from crying. I could sit and be angry about what happened to me, or I could do something about it,” he said confidently.
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Colby was introduced to adaptive sports at the Fort Benning SRU as part of his recovery therapy. He loved it, and even competed at Pacific trials in Hawaii last November. “I do shotput, archery, discus, air rifle, and a little bit of swimming. I’m not that good at swimming,” he says laughing.
His upbeat personality and can-do attitude earned him the Heart of the Team Award at the Pacific Trials. “What an honor! I was surprised,” said Colby.
Colby will compete for a spot on Team Army at the 2025 Army Trials at Fort Bliss, Texas, April 1-10. He admits that he is not 100% yet but he is sure he wants to support Team Army with what he’s accomplished in adaptive sports. “My world was not taken from me, but it was rerouted. I’m still going to try my best no matter what it is. Yeah, that’s how I look at it.”
Pfc. Maury Rice is thankful for the immense support from his parents, two older brothers, and his twin sister. They look forward to watching him compete to be on Team Army and in life after the Army. “I’m so proud of his progress, and I know he will try his hardest in El Paso,” said Maury-Dockery.
Proud of his recovery at the SRU, Maury-Rice wants future Soldiers who may need an SRU to look at the big picture and embrace the help. “I would tell them not to look at it like it’s the end of the world because it’s not; it’s just a start. It’s just the start of the next phase of your military career, and you’re getting help to get better!”
Ready to show what he has at Army Trials, Maury-Rice is excited about his future as he improves every day. “Although I have my whole life ahead of me, I still don’t know what I want to do, but it will be exciting!”
The Soldier Recovery Unit helps eligible Soldiers with complex wounds, illnesses or injuries to recover and return to the fighting force or to transition to veteran status with dignity and respect.
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