WARRIOR GAMES
PICKLEBALL INTRODUCED
TO VETERANS AT ANNUAL
WARRIOR GAMES IN COLORADO
U
SAPA Great Plains Regional Directors
Steve and Ramona Boone were
instrumental in including pickleball
as part of the annual Expo Days at the
United States Air Force Academy. It was held in
conjunction with the Department of Defense’s
Warrior Games 2018.
Local players Joe Johnson, Helen McChesney,
Nancy Steffy, George Lee and Dave Kennemer
explained the rules of the sport and Warriors
eagerly picked up their paddles and took to the
courts. Several pickleball manufacturers donated
paddles for all the Warriors. Companies included
Gamma, Selkirk, Pro-Lite, Paddletek and Gearbox,
while Pickleball Central donated a gift bag to
each veteran. The Boones’ goal is to inspire the
event organizers and place pickleball as a regular
competitive event at the Warrior Games. Later this
year, the Military VA Golden Age Games will offer
the sport of pickleball as a competition for the very
first time.
Approximately 300 wounded, ill and injured
servicemembers and veterans participated in the
Warriors competition, with athletes representing
the United States Army, Marine Corps, Navy,
Air Force and Special Operations Command. In
addition, athletes from the U.K. Armed Forces,
Australian Defense Force and Canadian Armed
Forces also competed. Teams included active-duty
servicemembers and a small number of veterans
with upper-body and spinal cord injuries, traumatic
brain injuries, visual impairment, serious illnesses
and post-traumatic stress.
The Warrior Games were established in 2010 as
a way to enhance the recovery and rehabilitation
of wounded, ill and injured service members
and expose them to adaptive sports. The games
encourage them to stay physically active when they
return to their local communities, and inspire and
promote opportunities for growth and achievement.
Continued on next page >
JULY/AUGUST 2018 |
MAGAZINE
65