Local Veteran Competes in National Veterans Wheelchair Games

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       Anchorage, Alaska. -- July 5,2006 -- Latseen Benson, a disabled Army veteran from Washington, D.C., is competing in the 26th National Veterans Wheelchair Games, being held through July 8 in Anchorage, Alaska. With more than 550 athletes from 46 states, Puerto Rico and Great Britain, this is the largest annual wheelchair sports event in the world. All athletes are military veterans who use wheelchairs due to spinal cord injuries, certain neurological conditions, orthopedic amputations or other disabilities. Benson, 26, a combat-wounded veteran of Operations Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom, is a double amputee (right leg above, left leg below the knee). He is currently receiving care at the VA medical facility in Washington, D.C.

       Benson is competing in the following events:

archery (para/amp with recurve bow)
basketball
track (400 meters)
handcycling

       "I am excited to be able to be a part of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games and compete against other veterans in my home state," said Benson, who skied the Rocky Mountains at the National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic earlier this year.

       Athletes in the Games compete within three divisions -- Masters (over age 40), Novice (first-time competitors in the Games), and Open (all others, or those who chose to compete in this category). They also compete within classes according to the level of their physical ability, with three quadriplegic-level classes (IA, IB, and IC), and four paraplegic-level or amputee classes (II, III, IV, and V). Benson competes as a Class V in the Novice division.

       The Games are presented by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), and are hosted this year by the Alaska VA Healthcare System and Regional Office and the Paralyzed Veterans of America Northwest Chapter. Funded with help from a host of corporations and service organizations, the National Veterans Wheelchair Games are a showcase for the benefit of sports rehabilitative programs, and the remarkable athletic abilities and personal achievements of our nation's disabled veterans.

Note to Editor:
If you would like to interview Benson, contact Kim Byers, National Veterans Wheelchair Games Public Affairs Coordinator, at (734) 761-7824 after July 10. (Above information regarding military service and disability provided by veteran.)