Following Davis… Countdown to the Wheelchair Games!
Men’s Liberty is a proud sponsor of Mission: ABLE and regular attendee at the PVA’s annual Wheelchair Games. We are so proud of these adaptive athletes and are consistently amazed by their accomplishments. These competitors challenge the stigma too often associated with ‘disability’. It’s just under a year until the next Wheelchair Games and training is already kicking off. To top up the excitement in our offices, we are thrilled that the Games are being hosted here in Tampa. And we’re looking forward to being involved every step of the way.
In that spirit, we want you to get in on the action as well. In fact, for the next 10 months, we are inviting you to follow Davis. He’s a local Tampa Bay area competitor in weight lifting, swimming, hand-cycling and quad rugby (also known as Murderball!). He is starting training next week for hand cycling and quad rugby!
We’re going to be checking in with Davis every few weeks as he trains for the Wheelchair Games. And we’ll be posting updates here so you all can follow along.
Last year he won the Silver Medal in swimming and the Gold in weight lifting. Therefore, we’re looking forward to seeing him do it again this year!
Davis is a C6 partial quadriplegic who was wounded in a training accident while he was preparing with his unit to be deployed to Afghanistan in 2001. He is now the President of the Gulf Coast Chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America and quite the advocate for veterans in the area! We are thrilled to get to follow along on the amazing journey he and the other athletes will take leading up to the 2013 Wheelchair Games!
In a recent interview with the Tampa Tribune, Davis explained why he was excited to have the games come to Tampa.
“Tampa is a great place for veterans,” says Davis . “It is a community enriched with military veterans who have served before me and who are serving after me. We came and made it home.
“Having the games come back to Tampa is going to be a grand old event to show people in my community what a disabled person can do. It’s not a sickness or disorder. We want to show that individuals, even in a chair, can live a healthy and active life.”
When he’s not competing, Davis is the proud husband and father of two very active 17 year old twins. He is looking forward to watching them graduate from high school next spring and then head off to college here in Florida.
Check out this ABC News piece on Davis and the Wheelchair Games:
The Games will be taking place in Tampa July 13 to 18, 2013 and are expected to draw more than 500 Veterans from across the United States, Puerto Rico and Great Britain.
Veterans compete in 17 competitive events including air guns, archery, basketball, bowling, field events such shot put, javelin, discus and club, hand-cycling, a motorized wheelchair rally, nine ball, power soccer, quad rugby, slalom, softball, swimming, table tennis, track, trapshooting and weightlifting. The athletes compete in all events against each other with similar athletic ability, competitive experience or age.
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Men’s Liberty is a proud sponsor of Mission: ABLE and an enthusiastic supporter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. For more information on the Wheelchair Games, check out their website: www.wheelchairgames.va.gov