The games began Monday morning at soldier Field. Veterans with disabilities are invited to compete in track and field, cycling and other sports.
Pat Tillman played in the NFL but left to join the army after 9-11. He was killed by friendly fire in Afghanistan. Tillman wrote a letter to his wife Marie in case he didn't make it home. In it, he asked her to live.
Marie Tillman told the competitors they made that same difficult decision.
"And not just to live but to really get out there and to overcome all of the adversity that you've seen and to compete," said Marie Tillman.
Marie Tillman now lives in the Chicago area and has remarried.
The Valor Games continue Tuesday and Wednesday.
