There will be competition at this weekend's National Veterans Wheelchair Games, but more importantly, there will be stories.

More than 500 veterans of all ages will converge on Omaha, Neb., for the annual event, which is entering its 28th year. Several athletes are competing who receive care at the McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Richmond, including two who are from the Richmond area.

Jimmy May of Midlothian has attended every year except one, and he believes he is the only veteran who can make that claim. He's still competitive in the masters division, but that's not why he comes back every year.

"I've probably won more than 100 medals," the Army veteran said. "But more than the medals, it's just the camaraderie. Though it's still nice to win the medals."

Joining him will be Raymond Kenney Jr., a Marine Corps veteran and Highland Springs graduate. Kenney was practicing his bowling one last time at Hanover Lanes yesterday morning and said he would represent Richmond well in the games.

"I'm going to win," he said. "When you get that gold medal and get to wear it on your neck all weekend, people notice."

Kenney has been bowling since suffering a spinal cord injury. He takes the ball and rolls himself into position at the foul line, then releases with a swinging arm motion.

The competitive aspect is something he enjoys. Since starting at the VA he has also been on several skiing trips, something he describes as scary but exhilarating. This weekend offers a chance for him to be in an athletic environment with other veterans.

"I hadn't really competed since I had been in the chair," he said. "But I attended my first one in 2001 and was hooked."

While at the games, which run from tomorrow until Tuesday, athletes will compete in everything from air guns to weightlifting, as well as bowling, archery and basketball.

The event has come a long way from its beginnings. The first Veterans Wheelchair Games were held in Richmond in 1981, when 74 athletes competed.

"Now they have every event you can think of," May said. "I've been to a lot of places doing this. All the way to Puerto Rico and Alaska."

May will compete in basketball and practices regularly here in town. He will also compete in billiards, table tennis and softball. He was going to bowl but dropped out because it would have involved bringing a specialized wheelchair in addition to the one he is traveling with.

Kenney will compete in bowling, weightlifting, archery, billiards and softball. He practices weightlifting as much as he can, though he is lobbying for a facility with weights designed for disabled athletes.

"You need help to use the facilities -- even just the handweights," he said. "I have some weights at home to practice with."

Last year, he took home the bronze medal in weightlifting after a four-way tie forced a lift-off for the title.

He also goes for both the competition and the opportunity to meet other veterans. He tells stories about his time with the Marines in Okinawa, as well as back in Quantico where he routinely saw former President Ronald Reagan come horse riding.

As the event continues to grow, the organization is reaching out to younger veterans, including those who have been serving in Iraq, as a way to adjust and find community.

"It's really great, especially for the novices," May said. "It shows them they can do everything."
Contact Michael Phillips at mphillips@timesdispatch.com.