Nine Paralyzed Veterans of America Athletes Depart for China in Quest of Paralympics Gold

A second wave of athletes heads to China today to compete in the 2008 Paralympics. The world's premier event for athletes with disabilities will feature a contingent of nine members of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (Paralyzed Veterans).

The 2008 Paralympics Games follows the recently completed Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Held every four years in conjunction with the Olympics, the Paralympics Games this year runs from Sept. 6-17. More than 200 athletes representing the United States will compete in 18 sports.

Given the stringent qualification standards that the Paralympics applies to potential competitors, the fact that nine of our members made the team is extraordinary-it speaks volumes about their talent and determination to succeed. It also speaks volumes about the mission of Paralyzed Veterans and how so many of our members improve the quality of their lives.

The members of Paralyzed Veterans who will compete in Beijing include:

Angela Madsen of Long Beach, CA;
Scot Severn of Caro, MI ;
Scott Winkler of Grovetown, GA;
J. Lee Hinson of Jacksonville, FL;
Laura Schwanger of Elkins Park, PA;
Carlos Leon of Birmingham, AL;
Oscar Sanchez of La Mesa, CA;
Russell Wolfe of Williamsburg, VA; and
Kevin Stone of Adrian, MI.

Please tune in to follow our members who are competing in the Beijing 2008 Paralympics Games. Universal Sports, a multiplatform destination for amateur sports programming, will provide the first-ever multiplatform broadcast coverage of the Beijing 2008 Paralympics Games, presented by GE in the United States.

Daily video highlights will also be web cast on the official site of the U.S. Paralympics Team, usparalympics.org. The groundbreaking broadcast will premiere on Sept. 6, on UniversalSports.com and Oct. 8, on Universal Sports TV, followed by a special presentation of the events on NBC, Oct. 18.