Veterans and volunteers interested in registering online for the 43rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) can do so now through April 5, 2024. This year’s games will be held at various venues across the New Orleans area from July 25-30, 2024, including the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. 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 con ..read more

Wounded Veterans and active duty service members have more opportunities to engage in adaptive sports competition than in the past. Move United, the national leader in community based adaptive sports and recreation, has released its Sanctioned Competitions schedule for 2024. Thirty-five competitions will take place in 24 states, serving over 2,000 athletes of all ages and performance levels, including new athletes, Paralympians and warfighters.  Move United Sanctioned Competitions are among the best adaptive multi-sport competitive events in the United States and are sanctioned ..read more

Registration for the National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic (NVSSC) opens on Dec. 1, 2023, and runs through March 1, 2024. The 2024 NVSSC will take place August 25-30 in San Diego, California, offering an extended opportunity for Veterans to partake in adaptive sports. Eligible Veterans can apply to attend the 2024 Summer Sports Clinic by going to www.summersportsclinic.va.gov. All accepted Veterans will be eligible to receive a free round trip airline ticket to attend through the generous support of Fisher House Foundation Hero Miles.  Entering its 17th year, VA’s National Veterans ..read more

Merging Vets and Players (MVP) was created in 2015 by Jay Glazer, a Fox Sports analyst, and Nate Boyer, a former Green Beret and NFL alumni, to address the similar challenges that combat Veterans and former professional athletes face when the uniform comes off. As a weekly peer support program, MVP creates a new team for these men and women and works to help them find new purpose, meaning and identity as they face the challenges head-on together rather than alone. By staying connected beyond the weekly sessions through various events, communication and trusted resources, members experience an ..read more

The Quality of Life (QL+) Program is seeking Veterans with disabilities who would benefit from having custom specialized devices built for them to help with their active lifestyle or simply to enhance their everyday life. The QL+ program has helped everyone from Paralympic athletes to Veterans looking to improve their ability to return to the everyday activities that may be tougher for them as a result of their injuries. Some projects have included hiking prosthetics, kayak and bike lifts, wheelchair tire cleaners, specialized archery equipment and even a rollerblading attachment for a prosthe ..read more

Johnny Holland was a wanted man – for playing wheelchair rugby, that is. Organizers of the 40th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, which are now underway in New York City, sought him and his athletic skills to help fill out the sport with competitors. Holland gladly accepted, helping the “Team Richmond” rugby squad win the gold medal. Making it even more special for him is that this was his first time playing wheelchair rugby in 15 years. He looked a little winded after his first of two complete games, but in all he felt good. Holland (far left) played a key role in Team Richmond winning the ..read more

When Staff Sgt. Travis Mills became one of only five quadruple amputees from the Global War on Terrorism, his personal life’s mission changed to supporting Veterans like himself and their families The Travis Mills Foundation (TMF) supports recalibrated Veterans and their families through various programs that help Veterans overcome physical and emotional obstacles, strengthen their families, and provide well-deserved rest and relaxation. TMF supports Veterans through their flagship retreat located in the Belgrade Lakes Region of Maine. Veterans who have been injured on active duty or as a resu ..read more

VA awarded nearly $16 million in grants to qualifying organizations to help more than 13,000 disabled Veterans and members of the Armed Forces participate in adaptive sports. Adaptive sports are competitive or recreational sports and activities customized to fit the needs of disabled Veterans and athletes, including Paralympic sports, archery, cycling, skiing, hunting, rock climbing and sky diving. These activities allow Veterans to rehabilitate through recreation and encourage an active and fit lifestyle. This year, participants in VA’s Adaptive Sports Grant program also have the opportunity ..read more

Dr. Alexander Senk, deputy chief of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, came to Minneapolis VA as a physician resident where he worked on the spinal cord injury unit and the polytrauma center. It’s also where, following his fellowship in sports medicine, this Olympic-class weightlifter found the opportunity to combine his passion for rehabilitation through adaptive sports and research. He also teaches up-and-coming physiatrists to help their patients achieve their goals. His first exposure to adaptive sports was volunteering at the Junior Disability Championships during his residency. “I h ..read more

A chorus of cheers and applause from a dedicated group of bootloaders rises up from the eastern slope of Snowmass, Colorado, after another successful Veteran run.  The celebration came from volunteers at the 2023 National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic. The clinic, hosted by VA and DAV since 1987, allows Veterans with disabilities such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and blindness to participate in activities many of them never believed possible. The activities include Alpine and Nordic skiing, sled hockey, scuba diving, snowmobiling and rock climbin ..read more