Hundreds Participating In Nat'l Veterans Wheelchair Games In Dallas
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - Dallas is and has been hosting the 35th Annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games all week.
According to Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald, there are more than 600 people competing – 100 of them participating for the first time. "Those first-timers are critically important, because they're the ones who are learning how to use adaptive sports in a rehabilitative way and are learning they can do much more than they probably thought they could do."
Veterans are competing in 18 wheelchair sports events including basketball, rugby, soccer, rowing, table tennis, bowling and archery.
In addition to Texans and people from across the United States, McDonald says the games also attract competitors from other countries. "We now have international attention. We have people here from the UK, from Korea, from Taiwan and other veteran's organizations, around the world, are interested in what we're doing here."
Organizers of the Wheelchair Games say the event gives injured veterans the chance to push their personal limits and improve their quality of life. "The rehabilitative nature of these adaptive sports are critically important to the re-integration of the veteran into community activities."
McDonald explained that the games also help injured veterans learn how to better function in a wheelchair and re-integrate into community activities.
The National Veterans Wheelchair Games, co-Presented by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Paralyzed Veterans of America, started on June 21 and will run through Friday, June 26.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)