{"id":7948,"date":"2025-01-26T21:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-01-26T21:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7948"},"modified":"2025-01-26T21:30:00","modified_gmt":"2025-01-26T21:30:00","slug":"the-push-to-get-back-into-the-wheelchair-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7948","title":{"rendered":"The push to get back into the Wheelchair Games"},"content":{"rendered":"

Originally published:<\/strong> 2025-01-26T21:30:00+00:00. Historical source article: benefits, rules, amounts and deadlines may have changed. Check the official source for current information.<\/p>\n

For Marine Corps Veteran Mark Stulz, it was his recreational therapist, Janelle Gustafson, who convinced him to get on a plane and go to the National Veteran Wheelchair Games in New Orleans in July 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\n
<\/a>
\u201cI shot the targets and sent them in.\u201d<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cShe kept twisting my arm. Then she twisted both legs. She said you\u2019re going,\u201d Stulz shared.<\/p>\n

Gustafson helped him get a bike so he could virtually compete in the 2023 Wheelchair Games. \u201cI rode 60 miles in four days and sent in a picture of my speedometer at the beginning and end,\u201d he said. She also helped him participate remotely in air rifle shooting, a sport he does in his backyard.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey sent me the targets. I shot them and sent them in. And I thought I did pretty good until I saw what these other guys do. I could not shoot what they shot if I held the gun right above the target.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Stulz served in the Marine Corps from 1968-1974 and saw combat in Vietnam. \u201cI started out carrying an M16 but got rid of that and got a 45. We got a little less weight on my back. We radio operators had about 120 pounds with the radios and the batteries and stuff, plus your own gear.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The weight of the gear wasn\u2019t the worst of his tour. \u201cI was in a helicopter crash off Hill 950. I medevacked everybody but myself off the hill, including the two pilots.\u201d<\/p>\n

He got to safety, replaced the mic because it had ripped off in the crash, and called in the medevac.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

No need to get on a plane for 2025 games<\/h2>\n

Getting care at Minneapolis VA<\/a> is where he met Gustafson. \u201cShe knew a little bit about me and helped get me back to trying to get back to where I was with balance, walking and everything like that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Preparing for the Wheelchair Games not only helped in his recovery but has given him the determination to compete again.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

This summer, Gustafson won\u2019t have to convince him to get on a plane for the games. The National Veterans Wheelchair Games, co-presented annually by VA and Paralyzed Veterans of America, will be held in Minneapolis July 17-22, 2025.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Learn how you can be a volunteer or register to be an athlete<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a>. Its Veterans is an independent publication and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A recreational therapist convinced a Veteran to go to the National Veteran Wheelchair Games in New Orleans in July 2024.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":136,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7948","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-u-s-veterans-health-care","category-prosthetics-rehabilitation"],"yoast_head":"\nThe push to get back into the Wheelchair Games - Its Veterans<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A recreational therapist convinced a Veteran to go to the National Veteran Wheelchair Games in New Orleans in July 2024.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/itsveterans.com\/?p=7948\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The push to get back into the Wheelchair Games - 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