NEW ORLEANS — Hundreds of athletes are competing for their chance at gold this weekend – not at the Olympics. Right here in New Orleans at the Veterans Wheelchair Games.
With dozens of events, they're playing sports you know and love but with a few changes.
WWL Louisiana's Alyssa Curtis took a look at the competition and showed us how for some, a drastic change in their life led them to something they never thought was possible.
"We were on a combat outpost in Iraq and I was shot, "said Charles Armstead, athlete and veteran. "Infiltrated our outpost and shot me in the stomach," he said.
Armstead said the bullet went through and shattered, breaking his hip and some damage to his back. "Results of it had to lose my whole hip my whole leg," Armstead said.
But that doesn't stop them. This weekend over 500 athletes are in New Orleans competing in the Veterans Wheelchair Games.
"It’s really a good and special thing that the VA provides a lot of the equipment and things that’s needed in order to still participate in sports and things that we love," said athlete and veteran Khadijah Hakeem.
They said getting back to the things they love – in a different way, has changed their life.
"It’s taken me to places I never thought I'd be in and doing things I never thought I'd do", Armstead added.
Plus, they love getting to bring out their competitive side.
"We veterans are still able to flex we’re still able on some level do the things we love it’s adaptive," Hakeem said.
Organizers said wheelchair sports and events like these, are extremely beneficial to veterans who are now paralyzed.
"It helps them to overcome what some of us might consider overwhelming challenges," said one organizer.
These sports may look a little different but honestly the main difference with adaptive sports — it's harder.
"I feel like a lot of CrossFit is very core and lower body focused on a lot of the movements they’re just a lot harder you don’t have those extra muscles to do them," said Brandon Morris, athlete and veteran.
Many of them are hoping events like these help bring more awareness.
"It's been a climb trying to get the resources and the kids out there to show what they can do," Armstead explained.
But this weekend — they're focused on getting that gold.
"I’ve won everything from bronze to gold last year," said Hakeem. "We won gold in power soccer, I won three gold medals last year."
The opening ceremony will be held on Thursday night. You can find more information about the competition at WheelchairGames.org
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.