More than 20 soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan and their family members were special guests at the sixth annual Endeavor Games June 9-12 in Edmond, Oklahoma.
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| Competitors at the Endeavor Games. Photo courtesy of Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics. |
The soldiers were excited about attending. Army Spc. Kevin Pannell, 1st Cavalry Division, 96th Regiment, who lost both legs-the left leg above the knee and the right below the knee-in Baghdad, said before the event, "With the support of DS/USA, I know I will have all the encouragement and physical training I need to once again try the sports I love, and I am even looking forward to some friendly competition in the event. Most importantly, I know that my participation in sports will inspire others who are overcoming their physical disabilities."
The soldiers did well in competition
Staff Sergeant John Jones (Marines), San Antonio, Texas, who recently lost his right leg below the knee in Iraq, took first place in archery and second place in air rifle shooting.
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| Staff Sergeant Michael McNaughton and President Bush ran together at the White House. Photo courtesy of White House photographer. |
Sergeant Dustin Tuller (Army) captured first-place medals in swimming, including the 25-yd backstroke, 25-yd breaststroke, 50-yd backstroke, 50-yd breaststroke, and 50-yd free swim. Tuller also took second place in tennis wheelchair doubles and second place in table tennis doubles. Tuller, who lives in Florida, became a bilateral amputee after being shot four times while leading a raid in Baghdad in December 2003. He has participated in several DS/USA events and keeps busy hanging out with his four kids, training for an upcoming marathon in New York City, and teaching sports to others with disabilities.
Staff Sergeant (Army) Michael McNaughton, Denham Springs, Louisiana, captured first place in the 100m sprint and second in the 200m. McNaughton stepped on a landmine 30 miles north of Kabul, Afghanistan, in 2002, His right leg had to be amputated above the knee; he lost two fingers on his right hand, and he suffered shrapnel wounds in his left leg.
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| Dustin Tuller, table tennis doubles. Photo courtesy of Ken Watson, Disabled Sports USA. |
While recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical
Center in Washington, DC, he met President George W. Bush. The
president told him that as soon as he could run a mile, he would
accompany him on a run. True to his word, McNaughton and President
Bush ran a mile together at the White House on April 14,
2004.
Competition, Clinics Hone Skills
Sports included wheelchair basketball, archery, powerlifting, shooting, tennis, table tennis, softball, swimming, boccia, and track and field events.
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| Dustin Tuller, table tennis, singles. Photo courtesy of Ken Watson, Disabled Sports USA. |
Besides competition, clinics were held to help participants learn new sports and skills. Also, in conjunction with BlazeSports America, a coaches' clinic was conducted. Participation in the Games has more than tripled since its beginning. Another day was added to the event this year to accommodate training clinics for athletes, volunteers, and coaches. The special guests participated in hands-on instruction courses in wheelchair fencing, sit volleyball, wheelchair basketball, swimming, and the third annual 'First Step Clinic', a session for amputees who wish to participate in track and field events.
Aron Ralston, who cut off his own arm to survive after his hand became trapped beneath a half-ton boulder as he was hiking in a Utah canyon, was the keynote speaker during the Games' opening ceremony. Ralston has written a book about his ordeal, Between a Rock and a Hard Place.
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| Staff Sergeant John Jones, archery. Photo courtesy of Ken Watson, Disabled Sports USA. |
On the last day, participants also enjoyed a banquet highlighted by a video screening of the previous two days of competition.
Hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) and Disabled Sports USA (DS/USA), the event is open to all athletes, regardless of age or ability. "The Endeavor Games is truly an opportunity to bring all disabilities together to compete, very similar to the model of the Paralympics," according to Katrina Shaklee, assistant director of UCO Disabled Sports and Events. "In addition, the Endeavor Games provide a great learning opportunity for aspiring athletes to compete right next to elite and former Paralympic athletes."
Sponsors of the event included the title sponsor, UCO; platinum
sponsor, Valir Rehabilitation Hospital; diamond sponsors, DS/USA
and the Wounded Warrior Project; and gold sponsors, Hanger
Prosthetics & Orthotics and Renda Broadcasting.
