South Texas Veterans shine at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games
By Randy Martin, Public Affairs Assistant
When 61-year-old Veteran Clinton Crumpton received his championship medal, he was wearing what he called “a new body.”
He was one of 24 South Texas Veterans Health Care System Veterans who competed in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Detroit July 9-14, 2026.
Crumpton, a Cold War-era Army signalman, had lived a paralysis-free life after surviving a 1986 bombing at the La Belle discotheque near his duty station in West Berlin, Germany. Everything changed in April.
“I told everybody at the Audie L. Murphy Memorial Hospital that I was going to walk out of there,” Crumpton said during a phone interview. A potentially life-threatening spinal condition had left him with paralysis followed by an urgent trip to the hospital.
Crumpton recently joined thousands of Veterans who participate in Department of Veterans Affairs National Veterans Sports Programs and Special Events. For each patient VA’s Adaptive Sports and Arts program is a waypoint toward other rewarding and life-changing opportunities.
“Life’s not over, I just got a new body,” Crumpton said.
At the VA, an entire team of VA therapists and staff support the NVWG alongside its partner, Paralyzed Veterans of America. The Games have been running for 45 years, with no signs of slowing down.
This year, Crumpton kept his promise and he walked out of the hospital. During the 2026 Games, he won two of the STVHCS Veterans’ 66 medals.
“San Antonio was proudly and strongly represented at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games,” said STVHCS Recreation Therapy Chief Mary Dawn Phillips.
Competitions cover a wide range of sports, including weightlifting, rugby, softball, and many more. Crumpton praised the Games, his therapists, and the fellowship of other Veterans like him. He hopes to participate every year for as long as possible.
“I am incredibly proud of our Veterans — not only those from the South Texas Veterans Health Care System who competed in the Wheelchair Games, but every Veteran who showcased their strength, resilience, and determination,” said STVHCS Executive Director Dr. Julianne Flynn. “I’m equally grateful to our dedicated team whose hard work and commitment helped make this possible. On behalf of our entire health care system, thank you for representing us with such heart and excellence.”
In 2027, the NVWG is being held in Orlando, Florida, and Crumpton may see a fellow STVHCS patient who has become a regular competitor and once piloted C-130 aircraft. Now, he flies down roads on three wheels.
“[The National Veterans Wheelchair Games] have been like a family,” said Phil Schweizer, during a phone interview.
Schweizer, 58, has attended four NVWG’s. Like Crumpton, he had been an athlete earlier in life, playing college football at the United States Air Force Academy. An injury led him to leave the sport and focus on academics, culminating in his graduation and a commission in 1991. Next came pilot training before an unforeseen medical condition changed everything.
“I have a recurring condition that affects my spinal cord, and I am still fighting it today,” said.
He has participated in medical research and development, including work on exoskeleton technology. His therapists say that when it comes to NVWG, Schweizer is all-in.
Schweizer, who won five medals this year, said that he loves wheeled trips across America. He can often be found riding his hand bike alongside his wife Paula - also a Veteran, nurse, and cyclist - on one of their long-distance adventures.
“It’s inspiring to meet other people who are facing the same challenges you face. You don’t know what you don’t know, until you experience it.” Schweizer said.