On June 25, members of the Miami VA Adaptive Sports Team were honored at a Pep Rally hosted by the Miami VA Healthcare System and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. The highlight of the event was U.S. Army Veteran Bryan Anderson, a triple amputee who served two tours in Iraq.
Miami (PRWEB) July 11, 2013
Many Florida Veterans who are wheelchair users have waited for years to participate in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. This year, they get to compete in front of their family, friends and the people of Florida when the Games come to Tampa July 13-18, 2013.
On June 25, members of the Miami VA Adaptive Sports Team were honored at a Pep Rally hosted by the Miami VA Healthcare System and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. The highlight of the event was U.S. Army Veteran Bryan Anderson, a triple amputee who served two tours in Iraq. Although not a participant anymore, Anderson flew to Miami to give these wounded warriors a few words of encouragement.
“Honestly, these men and women inspire me,” said Anderson after the rally. “To see these Veterans so focused on accomplishing their goals, and more importantly to see them find hope and healing through these games was touching.”
With more than 600 Veterans expected to compete, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games is the world’s largest annual multi-sport wheelchair event. Athletes come from across the United States, Great Britain and Puerto Rico, and include former servicemen and women who have served from World War II to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, from every branch of military service.
Local athletes from communities around South Florida will compete in 18 medal-awarding athletic events including handcycling, basketball, softball, weightlifting, track, field, swimming and quad rugby, just to name a few. Exhibition events include adaptive tennis and a first in Games’ history, adaptive water skiing.
Admission to the Games is free and the public is encouraged to attend and cheer on all the local athletes.
Competitive events will take place at the Tampa Convention Center, the Tampa Bay Times Forum, the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, Raymond James Stadium and other Tampa Bay area locations.
For a detailed schedule, visit the national website at http://www.wheelchairgames.va.gov. Media interested in covering these athletes may contact Shane Suzuki or Marjorie Valdes at 305-575-3399.
The Games are co-presented by the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America co-host the 2013 event locally.
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About VA: The Department of Veterans Affairs is a world leader in rehabilitation, with recreations therapy programs at each of its medical facilities. VA’s goal is to provide excellence in patient care, Veterans benefits and customer satisfaction. VA employees continue to offer their dedication and commitment to help Veterans get the services they have earned. To learn about VA and programs for Veterans, visit VA’s web site at http://www.va.gov.
About Paralyzed Veterans of America: Sixty-six years ago, Paralyzed Veterans of America was founded by a band of spinal cord injured service members who returned home from World War II to a grateful nation, but also to a world with few solutions to the challenges they faced. These Veterans from the “Greatest Generation” made a decision not just to live, but to live with dignity as contributors to society. They created an organization dedicated to Veterans’ service, medical research and civil rights for people with disabilities. And, for more than six decades, Paralyzed Veterans of America and its 34 chapters have been working to create an America where all Veterans and people with disabilities, and their families, have everything they need to thrive. (http://www.pva.org).
##### Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.
Miami (PRWEB) July 11, 2013
Many Florida Veterans who are wheelchair users have waited for years to participate in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. This year, they get to compete in front of their family, friends and the people of Florida when the Games come to Tampa July 13-18, 2013.
On June 25, members of the Miami VA Adaptive Sports Team were honored at a Pep Rally hosted by the Miami VA Healthcare System and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. The highlight of the event was U.S. Army Veteran Bryan Anderson, a triple amputee who served two tours in Iraq. Although not a participant anymore, Anderson flew to Miami to give these wounded warriors a few words of encouragement.
“Honestly, these men and women inspire me,” said Anderson after the rally. “To see these Veterans so focused on accomplishing their goals, and more importantly to see them find hope and healing through these games was touching.”
With more than 600 Veterans expected to compete, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games is the world’s largest annual multi-sport wheelchair event. Athletes come from across the United States, Great Britain and Puerto Rico, and include former servicemen and women who have served from World War II to Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom, from every branch of military service.
Local athletes from communities around South Florida will compete in 18 medal-awarding athletic events including handcycling, basketball, softball, weightlifting, track, field, swimming and quad rugby, just to name a few. Exhibition events include adaptive tennis and a first in Games’ history, adaptive water skiing.
Admission to the Games is free and the public is encouraged to attend and cheer on all the local athletes.
Competitive events will take place at the Tampa Convention Center, the Tampa Bay Times Forum, the Marriott Waterside Hotel & Marina, Raymond James Stadium and other Tampa Bay area locations.
For a detailed schedule, visit the national website at http://www.wheelchairgames.va.gov. Media interested in covering these athletes may contact Shane Suzuki or Marjorie Valdes at 305-575-3399.
The Games are co-presented by the Paralyzed Veterans of America and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and the Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Paralyzed Veterans of America co-host the 2013 event locally.
####
About VA: The Department of Veterans Affairs is a world leader in rehabilitation, with recreations therapy programs at each of its medical facilities. VA’s goal is to provide excellence in patient care, Veterans benefits and customer satisfaction. VA employees continue to offer their dedication and commitment to help Veterans get the services they have earned. To learn about VA and programs for Veterans, visit VA’s web site at http://www.va.gov.
About Paralyzed Veterans of America: Sixty-six years ago, Paralyzed Veterans of America was founded by a band of spinal cord injured service members who returned home from World War II to a grateful nation, but also to a world with few solutions to the challenges they faced. These Veterans from the “Greatest Generation” made a decision not just to live, but to live with dignity as contributors to society. They created an organization dedicated to Veterans’ service, medical research and civil rights for people with disabilities. And, for more than six decades, Paralyzed Veterans of America and its 34 chapters have been working to create an America where all Veterans and people with disabilities, and their families, have everything they need to thrive. (http://www.pva.org).
##### Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.