SPORTS 'N SPOKES

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Taking It To The Next Level

An accomplished athlete changes directions and helps others chase their dreams.

Five-time Paralympian Gabe Diaz de Leon knows all about sport. He has competed in archery, field events, basketball, and rugby at various levels ranging from recreational to international. Now he's training for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China, and has taken on a new role—coaching veterans.

In 1984, Diaz de Leon was a 21-year-old U.S. Army policeman serving in Honduras when his convoy came under fire. He was thrown out of his Jeep and paralyzed. Diaz de Leon went to a veterans hospital in Houston and then to rehab in New Orleans for seven months before he was discharged. While in New Orleans, he started shooting and participating in archery recreationally.

After he did well in a local tournament, the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) asked Diaz de Leon to compete at the 1986 archery nationals in Minneapolis. He qualified and made the world championship team. That same year, Diaz de Leon competed in the IPC Archery World Championships in Gossenburg, Sweden.While there, he was introduced to track and field and didn't waste any time pursuing his new interest. "When I got home, I started throwing," he says.

Diaz de Leon competes in shot put, discus, and javelin. In 1988, at his first Paralympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, he won bronze medals in the shot put and discus. He went on to attend the University of Texas-Arlington, where he earned a starting position on the basketball team his first year; he also competed in track and field.


Gabe Diaz de Leon continues to compete, but coaching is now also on his sports plate. Find out more.

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