Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) is making new inroads into fitness and wellness. Designed to assist PVA members as well as other disabled veterans and athletes with disabilities learn about sports such as handcycling, wheelchair racing, off-road hand biking, and other recreational or competitive fitness sports, PVA has new programs in place.

In addition to coordinating clinics and weekly training sessions around the country, PVA is building a Paralyzed Veterans Racing team to compete at marathons and other events. They are reaching out to support additional national governing bodies, too.

“It’s a new way of getting veterans and everyone with disabilities out there,” says Geoff Hopkins, PVA Associate Director. “We have been doing fishing, bowling and trapshooting for some time but felt it was important to get into the fitness side of sports.”

Getting Disabled Veterans Involved
Hopkins, who is a nationally ranked handcyclist and former wheelchair racer with a BAA Boston Marathon finish on his resume, is spearheading the national programming for PVA. He sees it as a fantastic way to get not only disabled veterans but also other individuals with a variety of different disabilities involved in sports. “We are really just trying to get disabled veterans out there, active and doing things,” Hopkins offers. “To the newly injured veterans especially, we want them to see that there are opportunities out there to do the sports they might want to try.”

An Education in Adaptive Equipment
To educate athletes, therapists, clinicians and non-profit organizations about the variety of adaptive equipment (such as state-of-the-art handcycles) that are available, PVA partnered with Invacare Top End to present ten national clinics in a product tour called “Tour de Force.” The events will be held in cities such as New York, St. Louis, Chicago, Seattle, San Antonio, San Diego, Washington, D.C. and Cincinnati, Dayton. Weekly training programs will then continue in San Antonio, San Diego, Chicago and Washington, D.C. for athletes of all abilities.

Hopkins says the clinics will educate veterans and therapists on the types of adaptive sports equipment such as hand bikes and racing wheelchairs that veterans may be eligible to obtain at no charge from their VA hospitals. 

Disabled veterans who are new to sports and who might be interested in attending a race or clinic free of charge may apply for PVA funding by contacting Geoff Hopkins. “I’m trying to reach out to veterans including the OEF/OIF guys and let them know that there is funding available to get them interested in sports like handcycling. I want to help get them to their first race,” adds Hopkins.

The Next Level: Paralyzed Veterans Racing
For those disabled athletes who want to compete and take their skills to the next level, Hopkins is recruiting members to Paralyzed Veterans Racing, a national team of disabled athletes who will wear the PVA red, white and blue at marathons, road races, time trials, criteriums and other open races around the country. Geoff Hopkins says, “There is no specific criteria to join Paralyzed Veterans Racing right now. Our goal is to get disabled veterans to the starting line and build a team united in promoting fitness.”

Of the many events on the PVA Fitness calendar, the 2009 US Handcycling Race Series is a highlight. Paralyzed Veterans Racing will sponsor athletes and support events in California, Georgia, Nevada, Alaska, Oregon, Indiana and Washington, D.C.  

“There are a lot of great things going on right now,” concludes Hopkins. “I want PVA to be the resource on everything from health and nutrition to sports and recreation.”

For more information about the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Paralyzed Veterans Racing, the PVA Fitness and Wellness Program and the Tour de Force Handcycling Clinic & Product Tour, please visit the following sites:
-www.pva.org
-www.topendwheelchair.com
-www.ushf.org

Geoff Hopkins may be reached at geoffh@pva.org.

Photo of disabled veteran, Carlos Moleda, from PVA.org and ushf.org.

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