The 36th annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games are little more than two weeks away, and this year they are to be held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Hosted by the VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, the 2016 games are set to begin on June 27th and will end on July 2nd.
Here Come the Athletes and Spectators
Hundreds of athletes from all over the world will soon descend upon the city, eager to leave their mark on the history of the games and hoping to take home a victory in their respective events. Some will come by plane, while those lucky enough to live in the area will arrive with family and friends in their wheelchair vans. Regardless of how they arrive, it looks like it will be an amazing week for all involved.
For spectators, the games are a great opportunity to get involved with the community, learn more about the variety of accessible sports that are played and often cheers on their friends and family.
About the Games
As the largest wheelchair sporting event in the world, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games hosts 20 different events (from basketball to softball, rugby and more) and are completely open to the public for participation.
There are four divisions that athletes can compete in: Novice (for those who are new to the games), Open (for veterans who are under 40 and have competed before), Masters (for returning athletes ages 40-59) and Senior (for those 60 and over).
There are also team sports where squads are made of participants who are assigned a point value based on a combination of their classification and skills.
Getting Involved
Although registration for participating in the events is closed, people who still want to get involved can volunteer at the events. You can find out more by visiting the National Veterans Wheelchair Games website.
At Rollx Vans, we love to see our community come together for these events, and we hope that this year’s games have the best turnout yet. We will be heading down to Salt Lake City, and we encourage all of our friends and family who can make the trip to come and see us! We will be setting up a booth and providing information about our wheelchair vehicles.
Will you be going to this year’s games? What’s your favorite wheelchair sport? Join the conversation by commenting below!