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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. The wheelchair games are co-presented by the VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America;

this year’s games will be co-hosted by the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care System and Bayou Gulf States PVA Chapter. New Orleans last hosted the games in 1990. One of the

competitors, Mark Lalli, is a patient at James A. Haley Veterans Hospital. An Army Veteran, Lalli sustained a traumatic brain injury, paralysis and over two dozen broken bones after a

helicopter crash during a training exercise in Italy in 2007. It took over 30 months in intense rehabilitation to relearn tasks like brushing his teeth and navigating life in a wheelchair.

He is proud to be competing in the games for the first time this year. I’m doing four events: cycling, archery, air rifle and bocce,” said Lalli. “My goal is to bring home medals.” When

asked what motivated him to begin handcycling, he shares a deeply personal story of taking his life back from addiction. “During the pandemic, I had turned to alcohol to cope with the

isolation, since I couldn’t go to the gym. I had a wakeup call when it got out of control, so I got on my bike to see how far I could go,” said Lalli.  “First, I went one mile, then wondered

if I could go five miles. When I hit five miles, I thought, ‘Why not do ten?’ When I got to 15, I thought, why not do a half-marathon? Through that, I found a healthier, more productive

addiction.”  Lalli has stayed grateful for the people that were a part of his recovery during rehabilitation and is enthusiastic about the role of the Recreation Therapy & Creative Arts

Therapy’s Adaptive Sports program.  “As Veterans, we’re always going to be competitive, always wanting to one-up each other,” said Lalli. “The tools and rehab at the hospital really give us

an avenue to embrace and not lose that part of ourselves, because we become able to do so much more.”  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. RETURNING COMPETITORS Marlon

Benn: Boccia, Bowling, Table Tennis Davis Celestine: Boccia, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Powerlifting, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Rugby Glenn Bretz: Basketball, Bowling, Cycling, Nine

Ball, Softball Jerome Knight: Archery, Bowling, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Motorized Rally Steven Lewis: Archery, Bowling, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field –

Shot Put, Football, Nine Ball, Softball, Wheelchair Rugby Ryan Lindstrom: Basketball, Football, Softball, Wheelchair Rugby Janet Moyer: Adaptive Fitness, Boccia, Bowling, Cornhole, Motorized

Rally, Motorized Slalom, Nine Ball Wayde Moyer: Air Rifle, Boccia, Bowling, Cornhole, Motorized Rally, Nine Ball Jerry Padgett: Boccia, Bowling, Disc Golf, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin,

Field – Shot Put, Football, Motorized Rally, Nine Ball, Powerlifting, Softball Earl Richardson: Adaptive Fitness, Boccia, Bowling, Wheelchair Rugby Jose Rodriguez: Air Pistol, Basketball,

Nine Ball, Table Tennis Sualauvi Tuimalealiifano: Boccia, Powerlifting, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Rugby FIRST TIME COMPETITORS Corine Hamilton: Adaptive Fitness, Air Rifle, Boccia, Bowling,

Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Powerlifting, Slalom Bryan Hillsman: Air Pistol, Air Rifle, Boccia, Bowling, Disc Golf, Pickleball, Table Tennis Mark Lalli: Air Rifle,

Archery, Boccia, Cycling Malika Montgomery: Boccia, Field – Discus, Field – Shot Put, Nine Ball, Pickleball, Softball Valerie Rolph: Air Rifle, Boccia, Bowling, Football, Nine Ball,

Softball, Table Tennis George Vera: Basketball, Cycling, Field – Discus, Field – Javelin, Field – Shot Put, Powerlifting Be sure to follow VA Adaptive Sports on Facebook, X/Twitter and

Instagram at @Sports4Vets for all the upcoming National Veterans Wheelchair Games action!