Registration is open for this year’s National Veterans Wheelchair Games

GAMESCOVER
Registration for the 43rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games is open through April 5. This year’s games will take place in the New Orleans area from July 25-30. Photo credit Department of Veterans Affairs

Veterans and volunteers interested in registering online for the 43rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games (NVWG) can do so through April 5.

This year’s games will be held at various venues across the New Orleans area from July 25-30, 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.

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.

The wheelchair games are co-presented by the VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America and are co-hosted by the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System and Bayou Gulf States PVA Chapter. New Orleans last hosted the games in 1990.

“The National Veterans Wheelchair Games is the world’s largest annual wheelchair sports and rehabilitation event solely for military veterans. The event demonstrates the unstoppable character of veterans and seeks to foster wider respect and opportunities for all people with disabilities,” said Fernando O. Rivera, director of the Southeast Louisiana Veteran Health Care system. “

To register as an athlete or volunteer, and for more information about the Wheelchair Games, visit here.

For those interested in receiving email updates, send an email to Christina Bordelon, local Organizational Chair, 43rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games at NVWGvolunteers@va.gov to be added to the email group.
Follow VA Adaptive Sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @Sports4Vets for all the upcoming National Veterans Wheelchair Games action.

Featured Image Photo Credit: Department of Veterans Affairs