Cpl (retired) Julie Marcotte “Soldier On shaped the way I saw adaptive sports. Now, I want to show everyone what people with injuries can do.” In 1997, Julie Marcotte enrolled in the Canadian Armed Forces as a gunner. While on exercise a year later, Julie suffered a massive fall resulting in two broken vertebrae. Although she went on to serve for six more years, the effects of her injuries eventually became too great and she had to release medically. Julie spent the next few years looking for what her next move would be, a career she could thrive in and regain the passion she once felt enrolled in the CAF. The reality of her release while dealing with debilitating injuries was a dark time for Julie, who struggled with feelings of abandonment, as many do. In 2016, she came across a post on social media from a friend about Soldier On. It piqued Julie's interest and marked the beginning of her journey with Soldier On. After applying to the program, she became be one of the 30 Soldier On representatives to participate in the Invictus Games 2017, held in Toronto. Her experience with the Games would not only help her recovery, but also shape her entire future. Julie had been interested in photography her whole life, but it wasn’t until her participation at the Invictus Games that she realized how powerful a photo could be. An image is worth a thousand words and the image of an athlete in the throes of competition could not feel more powerful. Noticing Julie's interest, a Soldier On photographer encouraged her to look into taking a photography course. While initially hesitant, Julie decided to jump right on in and attend Photography School at College MARSAN. Now, Julie combines her healing experience in sports with her love for photography, making a new career for herself in adaptive sport photography. Working alongside the photographer who encouraged her to pursue photography, Julie recently spent the week capturing the staging camp for Team Canada Invictus Games The Hague 2020. It was an emotional, full circle moment. She knew from her experience in 2017 that this would be a life changing experience for the competitors and was thrilled to be give the opportunity to capture the moment. “I have goose bumps for them. They don’t know what’s coming, but I do.” Those were Julie’s sentiments as she watched Team Canada embark for the Invictus Games The Hague 2020. With the help of Soldier On, Julie has not only found the community she longed for and the support of those facing illness and injury, but she has found a new purpose. You can follow along with Julie’s work at Mission Photographie.