SPORTS 'N SPOKES

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Comrades in Competition

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games shows athletes that life still goes on—and it can be great!

The torch came in on a scaled-down train that chugged into a huge hall at the Qwest Center Omaha. The crowd of proud families and friends moved apart so hundreds of veterans in wheelchairs could make their way front and center, as voices blended together to sing our national anthem and as the flame ignited the official torch for the week’s event: “Quest for the Best,” the 28th National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG), held July 25-29 in Omaha.

The parade of athletes proceeded in alphabetical order by state, with Nebraska (as host state) entering last in traditional Olympic fashion. The procession also included teams from the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and Great Britain.

Colleen Williams, news anchor for NTV, Kearney, Neb., was emcee. The 2007 Spirit of the Games winner, Joe Velasquez, read the Athlete’s Oath. Immediately following the formal program, a festive welcome reception took place in the Qwest Center.

Camaraderie abounded, and excitement and anticipation were in the air. The Games were about to begin!

Through the Ages

Each athlete comes to the Games with different goals in mind. Some want to win medals or beat personal records.

Others want to renew friendships from past Games and create new ones.

Participants of both genders ranged in age from 21 to 84 and represented every conflict from World War II to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (OIF/OEF). For three of the athletes, Beijing was on the horizon in the near future. Scott Winkler, Carlos Leon, and Scot Severn had earned spots on the 2008 U.S. Paralympic team headed for China in September.

Many of the first-time participants, like Aaron McMihelk, 21, a U.S. Marine Corps vet from San Diego and the youngest athlete this year, viewed the week as a learning experience and a chance to benefit from the sage advice of older competitors.

Doris Merrill, 84, a World War II Navy veteran from Nanticoke, Penn., was the oldest competitor.

“I love meeting the young vets at the Games,” Merrill says. “They seem to look up to the older athletes, and they see they are not alone.”

To claim the “oldest athlete” title, Merrill beat out Russell Worth, another 84-year-old Navy vet, by a slim 34 days. Worth, from Brown Deer, Wis., was the oldest male at the Games, however, and has attended the annual event for 15 straight years. That’s one honor he has over Merrill, who was attending her ninth.

The Journey

For every athlete at these Games, the journey began with paperwork. But for most, the adventure also included travel. Some arrived from mere blocks away, while others ventured thousands of miles to be with their comrades in competition.

Ken Schoenlein, 50, a U.S. Army veteran, crossed 3,300 miles to arrive from Willow, Alaska. His first Games experience was in Anchorage in 2006.

“I live in the middle of the woods,” Schoenlein says. “On my daily wheel to exercise my dog, I check the road to make sure the tracks from bears and moose aren’t fresh.”

Jeremy Wagner, 27, of Waianae, Hawaii, competed at the NVWG for the first time, after traveling for ten hours over more than 3,800 miles. An Army vet, he served in Iraq during 2004.

“I was mostly looking forward to meeting other people at the Games who are in the same situation as me, as well as the competition and camaraderie,” Wagner says. “Being around others who have to go through life differently than the rest of the human race is the best thing for me. It helps show me that even though we are different, life still goes on, and it can still be great!”

Emma Burns, 27, a third-time member of the British Team from Wilsden, West Yorkshire, was among the athletes traveling the farthest: more than 4,200 miles.

“I love the camaraderie among the athletes,” Burns explains. “Prior Games have been spot-on, opening up horizons as to what is possible.”


Athletes, some young and some young at heart, traveled from near and far to attend the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Read more of their personal stories in the September S’NS.

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