Five Mid-South Veterans compete at the 2026 National Veterans Wheelchair Games

Co-presented annually by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), the National Veterans Wheelchair Games is one of the nation’s premier adaptive sports and rehabilitation events. The Games provide Veterans with spinal cord injuries, amputations, and neurological conditions with the opportunity to compete in a variety of adaptive sports while promoting rehabilitation, independence, and lifelong wellness.

The five Veterans competed as members of the Mid-South PVA team. The Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center is home to one of only 25 VA Spinal Cord Injury and Disorders (SCI/D) Centers nationwide, providing specialized care to Veterans throughout Tennessee, Mississippi, and Alabama. As a result, the Mid-South PVA team brings together Veterans from across the region who travel to Memphis, Tennessee for their spinal cord injury care.

Together, the Mid-South PVA team earned 16 medals, highlighting both their competitive success and the determination that brought them to the national stage.

While the medal count reflects the team’s athletic accomplishments, Tomeka Johnson, recreational therapist at the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers, Jr. VA Medical Center and coach of the Mid-South PVA team, said the National Veterans Wheelchair Games are about far more than competition.

“The Games give Veterans an opportunity to continue working towards their rehabilitation goals while building confidence, friendship, and connects that extend beyond competition,” Johnson said. “It’s about getting back into the community, supporting one another, and seeing what’s possible.”

Many events mirror skills and movements that support everyday independence. Sports such as bowling, boccia, air pistol, and swimming help Veteran participants strengthen coordination, endurance, and balance upper-body mobility while building confidence in their physical abilities. Johnson said those benefits begin long before the Games, as Veterans spend months training together, encouraging one another, and celebrating each other’s progress.

For many participants, the Games represent more than a week of competition.

“The Wheelchair Games opens the door to sports and camaraderie,” Johnson said. “Those friendships don’t stop when the Games end – they continue outside the VA and become lasting friendships.”

VA Memphis Healthcare System Veterans interested in participating in future National Veterans Wheelchair Games are encouraged to speak with their care team and Tomeka Johnson in recreational therapy about eligibility and available programs. For a complete list of all six VA adaptive sports and arts events, visit the VA Adaptive Sports and Arts website.

Willie Moss – U.S. Army Veteran

Walls, Mississippi

Gold – Powerlifting Deadlift (Senior Division, Class III/IX)

Bronze – Disc Golf (Senior Division, Class IV/V)

Ricki Moore – Allied Forces Veteran (U.S. Army)

Memphis, Tennessee

Gold – Nine Ball (Senior Division, Class V)

Silver – Boccia (Senior Division, Class V)

Silver – 100-Meter Breaststroke (Senior Division, Class VI)

Silver – 100-Meter Freestyle (Senior Division, Class VI)

Bronze – Bowling – Manual (Senior Division, Class V)

Bronze – 50-Meter Freestyle (Senior Division, Class VI)

Robert Crowley – U.S. Army Veteran

Hayden, Alabama

Gold – The Rally (Senior Division, Class II)

Gold – Motorized Slalom – Hand Controls (Senior Division, Class II)

Marcus Hollis – U.S. Army Veteran

Bartlett, Tennessee

Gold – Nine Ball (Novice Division, Class III)

Gold – Bowling – Ramp (Chair: Power Hand Controls) (Novice Division, Class III)

Gold – Disc Golf (Novice Division, Class II-III)

Silver – Boccia (Novice Division, Class III)

Bronze – Air Pistol (Novice Division, Class P2)

Adriane Elliot – U.S. Army Veteran

Decatur, Alabama

Gold – Bowling – Manual (Novice Division, Class III)