Registration for 2024 National Veterans Wheelchair Games is now open - VA News (2024)

Veterans and volunteers interested in registering online for the 43rdNational Veterans Wheelchair Games(NVWG) can do so now through April 5, 2024.

This year’s games will be held at various venues across the New Orleans area from July 25-30, 2024, including the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. 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 andParalyzed Veterans of America(PVA); 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.

“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. “It is a privilege and an honor to partner with the Paralyzed Veterans of America and host the Games in the City of New Orleans”

To register as an athlete or volunteer, and for more information about the Wheelchair Games, visit www.wheelchairgames.org. 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 and we will add you to our email group.

VA employees wishing to volunteer, please register viawww.wheelchairgames.org. Funding to support travel and expenses are not available.

Be sure to follow VA Adaptive Sports on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @Sports4Vets for all the upcoming National Veterans Wheelchair Games action.