Veterans from Las Vegas in competitive spirit

In what is expected to be the last time Nevadans will compete in the National Veterans Wheelchair Games under the banner of other states, a pair of Las Vegans won six medals.

Kenny Rogers, a 73-year-old paraplegic competing with the Ohio Paralyzed Veterans of America team, and Daniel Kaminski, a 42-year-old quadriplegic on the Arizona team, each won a gold, silver and bronze medal at the June 21-26 event in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

They were sponsored by organizations in states where they previously lived because the Nevada Paralyzed Veterans Association did not exist before April.

The local organization has just started raising money to send its first squad to the nation's largest annual wheelchair games and other annual sporting events for the disabled.

"Next year, we would like to send 10 to 15 Nevada wheelchair athletes to the national games," Nevada President Lupo Quitoriano said.

"Fifty-one percent of every dollar we raise will go to support sending veterans to these type of events. The games are that important to us because they send the message that disabled persons are healthy."

Rogers, a veteran of national and regional wheelchair events, won a gold medal in air rifle and two swimming medals, a silver in the 100-meter backstroke and a bronze in the 100-meter freestyle.

Kaminski won a gold medal as a member of the quad rugby team, a silver in air rifle and a bronze in the wheelchair slalom.

The competition are divided into age and level of disability catagories.

"This was the largest turnout ever with more than 600 athletes, and that made it very difficult to win medals this year," Rogers said.

"There were 168 swimmers alone. The competition was really tough and the heat and humidity didn't help at all."

Rogers was one of just 16 World War II combat veterans competing at this year's games -- the lowest turnout ever for that aging group.

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