TAMPA, Fla. — Inside the gymnasium at MacDill Airforce Base, power is everything.  And retired Marine Corps Reserve Gunnery Sergeant Tiffany Hudgins knows it. 

But the strength that Hudgins uses to lift weights is nothing compared to the power she has needed to deal with life’s challenges.

“It happened so fast,” Hudgins said. “Part of it I don’t remember.”

While on foot patrol in Afghanistan, an explosive device almost killed her.

“So it knocked me out and it knocked me down, but I still have legs, limbs, and I’m still alive to talk about this today so that’s always a good thing,” Hudgins said.

Despite memory loss, balance issues, and a traumatic brain injury, Hudgins uses the mental toughness of a Marine to train for the Warrior Games. From powerlifting to rowing, she’s in the gym everyday.

“Call me a weirdo, but it is fun,” Hudgins laughed.

Hudgins knows the drills. She has competed before, but powerlifting will be a first. 

"I have a goal in my mind,” Hudgins said. “I don’t want to say it aloud. I don’t want to jinx myself.”

She is excited and not just because of the competition.  Hudgins said the camaraderie is like no other, bringing together injured soldiers from all over, to find that power from within.

Hudgins is one of about 300 wounded, ill, and injured service members and veterans to take part in the Warrior Games in Tampa starting on June 21. 

She lives in Apollo Beach.