Veteran ready for 2025 Wheelchair Games

Hank Ebert joined the Navy in 1966 as a helicopter combat rescue airman. Based out of Japan and trained as a rescue combat swimmer, he spent two tours flying up and down the Vietnam coastline during the war. Shortly after returning home to Minnesota in September 1970, his life took a dramatic turn.

“I got in a motorcycle accident. Motorcycle versus car. That kind of changed my life a little bit,” he shared.

Ebert’s family took him directly to VA. Unfortunately, his injuries were so severe that he rolled out in a wheelchair.

He went to college and, just before his last quarter, was offered a job from a Brainerd bait shop operator to serve as Minnesota Gov. Rudy Perpich’s guide during the Governor’s Fishing Opener of 1976. 

“Yeah, I’m going to go fishing.”

“I was getting bored with college anyway and I thought, yeah, I’m going to go fishing. I ended up fishing for 46 years. I’ve caught a lot of fish, a lot of big fish,” he said.

His years of perseverance as a guide landed him perhaps the biggest fish of them all. He was inducted into the Minnesota Fishing Hall of Fame in 2023. 

While local fame comes from his angling expertise, he is a bit of a superstar in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games crowd, too. Ebert started competing in the games, co-presented yearly by VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America, in 1993.

“The first game I went to I did five events and got five gold medals. I thought ‘yeah, this is okay.’”

Ebert has competed in over 20 games. One of his most memorable was 2006 in Anchorage, Alaska. Competing in the archery event, he split an arrow already in the target with another arrow. “I was the first person to ever shoot a Robin Hood at the games,” he said.

“It’s just impressive what people will do.”

If winning competitions hooked Hank, it’s the inspiration he sees in other competitors that keeps him on the line.

“There are people here with their physical disabilities… I’m not sure I’d be here in the same situation. It’s just impressive what people will do. People don’t see each other for a year, then it’s all hugs and kisses. It’s just awesome,” he added.

Ebert, 77, is beginning to feel the games are getting to be more work, but the comeraderie with his fellow Veterans keeps him coming back. Being a great competitor doesn’t hurt either. In the 2024 Games in New Orleans, he earned gold in archery and trap shoot, silver in discus and bronze in shotput.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games will be held in Minneapolis July 17-22, 2025. Learn how you can be a volunteer or register to be an athlete. To see pictures from the 2024 Games, visit 2024 National Veterans Wheelchair Games | Flickr.