Registration for Veterans Wheelchair Games opens Feb. 1

VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America will host the 42nd National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Portland, July 4-9, 2023. Eligible Veterans interested in competing may submit applications at www.wheelchairgames.org from Feb. 1 until April 2.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is a sports and rehabilitation program for military Veterans who use wheelchairs for sports competition due to spinal cord injuries, amputations or other neurological conditions.

Each year, hundreds of Veterans train and travel from around the country to compete in the games, the world’s largest annual multi-sport wheelchair competition for Veterans.

More than 20 Wheelchair Games events 

Veterans with similar athletic ability, experience or age will compete in more than 20 events:

• Adaptive e-sports
• Adaptive fitness
• Air pistol and rifle
• Archery
• Basketball
• Boccia
• Bowling
• Cycling
• Disc golf
• Field events
• Nine-ball
• Pickleball
• Power soccer
• Wheelchair rugby
• Slalom
• Softball
• Swimming
• Table tennis

Veteran wheelchair archer

Festivities will kick off July 4 with a festive opening ceremony and end with a closing celebration on July 9.

“We will make it happen.”

For Veteran athletes Davis Celestine and Stephen Lewis of Tampa, the games mean more than winning medals. “We accommodate and we overcome,” said Davis Celestine, 2022 NVWG Spirit of the Games winner. “We have a lot of achievers in the Wheelchair Games and we make it happen.”

Read here for more on their reason why sports empower them to excel.

To register and for more information, visit www.wheelchairgames.org.

Be sure to follow VA Adaptive Sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @Sports4Vets for all the upcoming National Veterans Wheelchair Games action.