Eighteen Competitors from Tampa to Compete in National Veterans Wheelchair Games
Eighteen competitors from the Tampa area will compete in this year’s National Veterans Wheelchair Games, held at various venues across the New Orleans area from July 25-30, 2024.
The Wheelchair Games will also feature a Bass Fishing Competition on July 23 to kick off the week’s events.
The wheelchair games are a sports and rehabilitation competition to engage Veterans who use wheelchairs due to spinal cord injuries, amputations or other neurological conditions. The wheelchair games are co-presented by the VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America; this year’s games will be co-hosted by the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System and Bayou Gulf States PVA Chapter. New Orleans last hosted the games in 1990.
One of the competitors, Mark Lalli, is a patient at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. An Army Veteran, Lalli sustained a traumatic brain injury, paralysis and over two dozen broken bones after a helicopter crash during a training exercise in Italy in 2007. It took over 30 months in intense rehabilitation to relearn tasks like brushing his teeth and navigating life in a wheelchair. He is proud to be competing in the games for the first time this year.
I’m doing four events: cycling, archery, air rifle and bocce,” said Lalli. “My goal is to bring home medals.”
When asked what motivated him to begin handcycling, he shares a deeply personal story of taking his life back from addiction.
“During the pandemic, I had turned to alcohol to cope with the isolation, since I couldn’t go to the gym. I had a wakeup call when it got out of control, so I got on my bike to see how far I could go,” said Lalli. “First, I went one mile, then wondered if I could go five miles. When I hit five miles, I thought, ‘Why not do ten?’ When I got to 15, I thought, why not do a half-marathon? Through that, I found a healthier, more productive addiction.”
Lalli has stayed grateful for the people that were a part of his recovery during rehabilitation and is enthusiastic about the role of the Recreation Therapy & Creative Arts Therapy’s Adaptive Sports program.
“As Veterans, we’re always going to be competitive, always wanting to one-up each other,” said Lalli. “The tools and rehab at the hospital really give us an avenue to embrace and not lose that part of ourselves, because we become able to do so much more.”
Hundreds of Veterans from across the country will unite to compete and earn medals in 21 adaptive sports, like wheelchair basketball, swimming, cycling, powerlifting, rugby and soccer. This year is the first time cornhole will be a medal event.
Returning Competitors
Marlon Benn: Boccia, Bowling, Table Tennis
Davis Celestine: Boccia, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Powerlifting, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Rugby
Glenn Bretz: Basketball, Bowling, Cycling, Nine Ball, Softball
Jerome Knight: Archery, Bowling, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Motorized Rally
Steven Lewis: Archery, Bowling, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Football, Nine Ball, Softball, Wheelchair Rugby
Ryan Lindstrom: Basketball, Football, Softball, Wheelchair Rugby
Janet Moyer: Adaptive Fitness, Boccia, Bowling, Cornhole, Motorized Rally, Motorized Slalom, Nine Ball
Wayde Moyer: Air Rifle, Boccia, Bowling, Cornhole, Motorized Rally, Nine Ball
Jerry Padgett: Boccia, Bowling, Disc Golf, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Football, Motorized Rally, Nine Ball, Powerlifting, Softball
Earl Richardson: Adaptive Fitness, Boccia, Bowling, Wheelchair Rugby
Jose Rodriguez: Air Pistol, Basketball, Nine Ball, Table Tennis
Sualauvi Tuimalealiifano: Boccia, Powerlifting, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Rugby
First Time Competitors
Corine Hamilton: Adaptive Fitness, Air Rifle, Boccia, Bowling, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Powerlifting, Slalom
Bryan Hillsman: Air Pistol, Air Rifle, Boccia, Bowling, Disc Golf, Pickleball, Table Tennis
Mark Lalli: Air Rifle, Archery, Boccia, Cycling
Malika Montgomery: Boccia, Field – Discus, Field – Shot Put, Nine Ball, Pickleball, Softball
Valerie Rolph: Air Rifle, Boccia, Bowling, Football, Nine Ball, Softball, Table Tennis
George Vera: Basketball, Cycling, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Powerlifting
Be sure to follow VA Adaptive Sports on Facebook, X/Twitter and Instagram at @Sports4Vets for all the upcoming National Veterans Wheelchair Games action!