For nearly three decades, military veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spinal cord injuries, amputations or certain neurological problems have assembled to participate in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

With more than 500 participants from the United States, Great Britain and Puerto Rico, it is the largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world. The Wheelchair Games are an exciting combination of competition, camaraderie and courage where earning medals is just part of the appeal.

Disabled Veteran Participants Span Generations
While nearly 25 percent of the veterans competing each year are first timers, there are many experienced wheelchair athletes who attend the event every year. Some of these athletes have competed on a national and international level while others make the Veterans Games the mainstay of their annual competitive or recreational calendars. The Games offers something different for every participant regardless of their age, military experience or veteran status.

Meet Some of the National Wheelchair Games Attendees
Gary Pearson, a 55-year-old Coast Guard veteran from Seattle, Washington, was injured in an automobile accident over thirty-five years ago and became a quadriplegic.

“I look forward to coming to the Wheelchair Games each year,” Pearson explains. “I get to see old friends and meet new ones, and I’ve enjoyed the long-lasting relationships that you make at the Games.” In 2004, Pearson received the “Spirit of the Games Award,” an award given to the athlete who best exemplifies the values of the Games through his personal and athletic dedication, values and commitment.

At age 65, George Norton, from Fairhaven, MA, has been a regular competitor at the Wheelchair Games for years. Norton volunteered for the Army in 1966 and became a member of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division working as a demolitions expert in Vietnam. He was injured while working on a Fast Patrol Craft when his unit began taking sniper fire from the North Vietnamese. He was hit in the ankle and woke up in a Saigon hospital five days later as a left leg amputee. George Norton says he was depressed after his injury but getting involved in adaptive sports helped him recover. He says, “I got started playing wheelchair basketball at the VA hospital about 20 years ago. It was like being born again.”

The Games also welcome younger veterans. Anthony Alegre, a 25 year old combat wounded veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom from Gray, Georgia, is a newcomer who hopes to use the Games to see how far he can push himself.

In 2004, Alegre was on patrol in Ramadi, Iraq, when his vehicle was hit by an IED. After being in a coma for two months, the only thing he could remember was waking up in the hospital. Since the injury, it has been an uphill battle to gain the confidence and determination Alegre once had. For Alegre, it’s not really about winning, but taking a step back and finding new ways to do the things he used to love.

“The Wheelchair Games help build confidence, self esteem and motivate you to stay active," Alegre states. “It gives me renewed self confidence to see what others with disabilities can do, and it makes me want to do them, too.”

Pick an Adaptive Sport and Mark Your Calendar
From quad rugby, wheelchair basketball, weightlifting, billiards and archery to power soccer, slalom, handcycling and track and field, the Games offers a variety of competitive events, as well as clinics and demonstrations for novice and seasoned athletes alike. But competing in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games is not just about winning medals. Like service to our country, the Games are about getting out there, pushing just a little harder and contributing to a greater good. The Games are about being an athlete, an individual and a proud veteran.

The 29th National Veterans Wheelchair Games will take place July 13-18, 2009, in Spokane, WA. The 30th Games will take place in Denver, Colorado, and the 31st event will occur in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Learn more about the National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

See Related Articles
Find out about adaptive sports opportunities, in Paralyzed Veterans of America Expand Adaptive Sports and Fitness Programs.

Discover how veterans with disabilities maintain a healthy lifestyle, despite their injuries, in VA Equipment Grants Help Veterans with Disabilities Stay Active.