ARIZONA, USA — Sometimes something simple can mean so much.
When Multiple Sclerosis left Air Force Veteran Terry Boyce confined to a wheelchair, his sense of self-worth was at an all-time low.
For veterans like Boyce, the National Wheelchair Games, held in and around Phoenix this year, offers them a chance to be around others who face the same challenges.
On Friday, Boyce took part in the archery competition; a hobby he hasn’t taken up since his youth.
“It's been a wonderful, wonderful experience,” Boyce said. “I've done things I haven’t done in a long time and it shows me I can do something.”
The 41st National Wheelchair Games brings adaptive athletes from around the country, Puerto Rico, and England together to compete in sports such as wheelchair basketball, power soccer, wheelchair rugby, and archery.
“It's incredibly helpful,” said Leif Nelson, Director of Adaptive Sports and Arts for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. “We see this program as a springboard for life; to get on a new identity as an athlete and take on challenges that way.”
The mission of the National Wheelchair Games is simple: help paralyzed veterans recover and rehab from their injuries.
“The Wheelchair Games are about getting veterans out of our hospitals and into the community, setting goals for themselves and doing that through competition in sports,” Nelson explained.
Taking place in a different city each year, the VA also hopes the games will leave their hosting community with more resources for veterans.
“We hope when we leave here, there are more opportunities for our veterans with these complex disabilities and challenges, to get out there and be active in their community,” Nelson said.
“No matter what your struggle is, you can do it,” Boyce said.
For the nearly 300 adaptive athletes who take part in the games each year like Boyce, it shows them that no matter the challenge, they can overcome it.
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