Courage and camaraderie: part of competition at National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Portland
By Caden Perry
July 6, 2023 9:07 p.m.
John Wade from Cleveland, Ohio, has a boost of confidence right before the start signal in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games at the Portland International Raceway on July 5, 2023. The National Veterans Wheelchair Games brought in about 460 veterans to compete in all kinds of sporting events.
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Adam Parker from Fresno, California, cruises by early in the race for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games at the Portland International Raceway on July 5, 2023. The Department of Veterans Affairs and Paralyzed Veterans of America co-present the Games to inspire recreational activities and independence in U.S. veterans.
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Veterans line up at the Portland International Raceway for the cycling event.
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Volunteers for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games cheer on veteran athletes as they hit the straightaway on Portland International Raceway’s track.
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Pushing along, a veteran athlete speeds into the second half of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games cycling race.
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Finishing their second to last lap, a group of veteran athletes for the National Veterans Wheelchair Games exchange joking words of dismay at beating each other.
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Two veterans use handcycles while racing on the Portland International Raceway. Veteran athletes raced for 21 kilometers, competing for medals in their ability category.
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Two veterans hit the asphalt turn in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games cycling race on the Portland International Raceway on July 5, 2023. “The Games are what get me to pull up my bootstraps and get out...or, I guess, one boot strap,” jokes David Summers, right.
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A veteran squints and focuses on their target with an air pistol at the Oregon Convention Center, July 5, 2023. Clinics are held for some events, helping veterans extend their sporting experience after the Games are finished.
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Competitors take aim in the air pistol event at the Oregon Convention Center. Veterans from all branches of the military come to the Games to find community and competition in shared abilities and backgrounds.
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Patrick Peterson from Alabama, right, slaps hands with a teammate during a softball competition at the Oregon Convention Center.
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A runner for the McKenzie team slips by Eric Turman, right, from McCormick, S.C., allowing a team Crooked to score a run in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. “We just got put on a random team, but I already feel the fire against those other guys,” one of the sideline players exclaims.
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Players get into ready stances for an incoming pitch in the softball event held at the Oregon Convention Center.
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A batter eyes an incoming ball at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games at the Oregon Convention Center.
Caden Perry / OPB
The 42nd annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games kicked off on July 4 in Portland. Over 500 competitors are competing in the event, pegged as the “largest annual rehabilitation wheelchair sports event solely designed for military veterans.” The competition is open to all U.S. veterans with spinal injuries, amputations, and other conditions that require them to use a wheelchair. The annual event is a joint partnership between the Department of Veteran’s Affairs and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
For some veterans, it is their first time seeing what wheelchair sports can offer them. For others, it is another chapter in a long time spent training and competing for a plethora of medals and commendations offered to wheelchair athletes across the world. There are over 20 adaptive sport events, including swimming, powerlifting, soccer and cycling. This year’s athletes range from ages 20-94, and 18% are novice athletes. The most common sound bouncing off the tracks and convention center halls is laughter brought about by sportsmanship and excitement for this amazing experience.
The events are free and open to the public, concluding on July 9.
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