From US Paralympics
What: 8th annual UCO Endeavor Games for Athletes with Physical Disabilities
Description: The Endeavor Games will be held this weekend, with a record-breaking attendance of more than 350 sport participants. Twenty-seven states will be represented as well as the countries of Panama and Mexico. Competition will be held in ten different sports over a 3-day period beginning Friday, June 8 and ending Sunday, June 10, all at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) and Edmond Public Schools. In addition, sport clinics, presented by the U.S. Paralympics, will be held on Thursday, June 7.
DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
Thursday, June 7:
The 2007 Sport Clinics will be presented by U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee. National Team coaches and athletes will lead participants through instruction in the following Paralympic Sports: Archery, Boccia, Powerlifting, Shooting, Table Tennis and Track & Field. Over 60 aspiring athletes have signed up to participate in the sport clinics and receive instruction from the best of the best.
In addition, UCO Endeavor Games is pleased to partner once more with Disabled Sports USA and the Wounded Warriors Project to welcome our nation’s protectors as they realize their potential as athletes. These special guests are members of the U.S. Military Services who have received permanent physically disabling injuries while serving for the United States of America in the Global War on Terrorism. A record number 28 soldiers will be attending the event, to participate in the clinics and then to compete throughout the weekend.
Friday, June 8:
Outdoor archery (9am, Cheyenne Middle School) and powerlifting (10am, UCO Hamilton Field House) will begin the sport competition for the day. Powerlifting will serve as the National Powerlifting Championships and will feature numerous national team athletes, including Kortney Clemons, a solider injured in the war in Iraq. In addition, wheelchair basketball will be conducted throughout the day at UCO’s Wellness Center. The basketball competition is a 3-on-3 format, and will feature competition for juniors and adults. Table Tennis will round out the sport competition for the day and will also be held in the Wellness Center, beginning at 1pm.
To complete the evening, an Opening Ceremony will be staged at 7:30 p.m. at UCO’s Hamilton Field House. Two-time Paralympian Karin Korb, will serve as keynote speaker for the ceremonies. Korb is among the top four women wheelchair tennis players in the world and was the first wheelchair athlete to defeat an able-bodied opponent. Presented by Chickasaw Nation & a Centennial Event, opening ceremonies will also feature Indian dancers, a Parade of Athletes, and a tribute to the U.S. soldiers.
Saturday, June 9:
Saturday will begin with an amazing skydiving demonstration by double-amputee Dana Bowman at 8:00 a.m. at Edmond North High School. Track competition will then start at 8:30 a.m. and is once again the most populated sport with healthy competition in each of the four disabilities. Track will feature numerous Paralympic athletes who are preparing for the 2008 Paralympic Games in Beijing, China. Also in attendance will be five-year old amputee Payton Hofmeyer of Plano, TX in his first ever competition. Wheelchair tennis will be held at Edmond North’s tennis courts at 9:30 a.m. Shooting (9am, UCO Wellness Center) and outdoor archery (9am, Cheyenne Middle School) will also be held on Saturday. The archery competition will feature athletes on the National Archery Team, including Edmond’s own T.J. Pemberton who is aspiring to attend the 2008 Paralympic Games.
Sunday, June 10:
The conclusion of the track events will start the day with the 5000m scheduled for 8:00 a.m. at Edmond North High School. Boccia will then be held at the Wellness Center, UCO at 9:00 a.m. The second largest sport in the Endeavor Games, swimming, will be conducted throughout the morning at UCO’s Hamilton Field House. Swimming will feature a record 50 athletes competing in a variety of strokes.
