Largest veteran wheelchair sporting event in the world taking place in Minneapolis this weekend

NINA MOINI: If you live in the Twin Cities or you travel here, get ready for a huge sporting event in your backyard. This weekend. I'm talking about the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. It's the largest annual wheelchair sporting event for veterans in the world. And this year, it's taking over Minneapolis. The games bring together hundreds of veterans from across the country for a week of athletic competition and community building.

So on the line are two people who know the games inside and out. Dave Tostenrude is the Director of the program for the Department of Veterans Affairs. Hi, Dave.

DAVE TOSTENRUDE: Hi. Good afternoon.

NINA MOINI: Thank you for being here. And Mark Schultz is a Marine Corps veteran, Vietnam War combat veteran, and a multi-sport athlete from Victoria, Minnesota, who's competing this weekend. Thank you very much for being here as well, Mark.

MARK SCHULTZ: Thank you. Good afternoon, too.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. What an exciting time. This is really coming up, Dave. And I understand this is your 31st year working with the games. Wow, what a run. How have you seen it evolve over the decades?

DAVE TOSTENRUDE: Oh, wow. It's amazing. Sometimes I kind have to look in the mirror and remind myself I've been working with a program that long. I'm proudly worked with the VA for 34 years. And the games have been an important part of my career.

And I started as a recreation therapist at the VA spinal cord injury unit in Seattle. And we use the games as part of the rehab process for our veterans. And I've just been so proud to see the games grow to involve more VAs. And we are partnered with the Paralyzed Veterans of America. So we've grown into the largest annual wheelchair sports and rehabilitation event supporting our veterans living with spinal cord injuries, MS, amputations, and other physical disabilities to find the most in their lives following their injuries. And sports is a great process to do that.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. Mark, what do you think about that, just the role of sports? How does that help you or impact your life?

MARK SCHULTZ: Well, it's helped me out a lot because this is my third year. The first year I did it remotely. And last year, I went down to New Orleans with it down there. And my therapist, she was great. She kept pushing me and pushing me and got me involved in it.

And it's great. You get to meet other veterans with some similar disabilities. All of us have disabilities. And it helps strengthen what you have and competing in the different types of games and that type of thing. I do cycling. I'll be doing two laps around Lake Harriet this year.

NINA MOINI: All right. OK. So you really, truly, are a multi-sport athlete. Dave, for those who have never been to the games, would you tell us a little bit about just like the atmosphere and what it's like?

DAVE TOSTENRUDE: Well, we have 537 veterans coming from all over the country.

NINA MOINI: Wow.

DAVE TOSTENRUDE: And of those, we have 179 newly-injured veterans or veterans that may have been injured for a couple of years. Everyone adjusts differently. And they've been working with their coaches and their therapists at the VA or the PVA chapters to prepare for this week. And so for many, it has been, as Mark had said, it's been a year-long preparation process. And it's not just about the events. It's about learning how to travel in a wheelchair and flying. And being comfortable, taking care of yourself away from home. Because if you're in a wheelchair and have a lot of needs, that needs a lot of confidence to be successful.

So for so many of our veterans, just getting here is so much part of the challenge. And then to come here and be surrounded, as Mark said, to over 500 other veterans that know what it's like in those challenges that you have, it can be very empowering. And we have 22 events that the veterans are going to compete with over the next six days. And our goal is to help our veterans find a passion in their life and to continue their journey towards fitness and sports and healthy activity, and not feeling limited by just the way they get around. It's just another challenge that we all have.

NINA MOINI: Mark, I am looking here, again, and it's got all these different things that you compete in. And I'm curious, there's the event itself and showing up and the logistics. But what is your training strategy throughout the year?

MARK SCHULTZ: Well, it's different. I've been practicing pickleball lately. We meet another guy and I and a few other people meet at the VA in Minneapolis and play pickleball and do that type of thing. The other types of things, I ride my bicycle around the neighborhoods and try to build up miles on it so that I know that I can compete. It's a six mile trip. And that was a lot of fun last year when I did it last year down in New Orleans.

NINA MOINI: And Mark, I understand you founded an organization called Vettes for Vets. Would you tell us a little bit about it and how it kind of highlights the spirit of the wheelchair games?

MARK SCHULTZ: OK. Well, Vettes for Vets is a Corvette Club. We have an annual show coming up August 10. And the money we raise at that show goes to The Veteran's Home in Minneapolis. And for about 15 years now I've been collecting socks all year round. But at that show, I collect probably 400 pairs of socks.

NINA MOINI: Wow.

MARK SCHULTZ: And I donate them all to The Veteran's Home.

NINA MOINI: Nice. And we know socks are some of the most needed items for people, believe it or not.

MARK SCHULTZ: Yep.

NINA MOINI: So Dave, I'm thinking about-- you mentioned just coordination for an event like this. How is Minneapolis, in your opinion, just for hosting? Just having accessibility across the board, hotels, restaurants. What has it been like setting that up with hundreds of people coming to town?

DAVE TOSTENRUDE: Well, as you can imagine, meeting the accessibility needs for well over almost 600 veterans on our average basis, it's daunting. To have to fly folks in and transport them around, house them, support the events is a daunting task. We were actually last here in 2005, the wheelchair games were. And your community was so receptive and supportive. We said we got to get back.

So we've had a team based for the past two years preparing for this week. And they've been-- our incredible hosts through the Minneapolis VA Health Care System, Pat Kelly and his team have just been outstanding. Hundreds of VA employees and also the Minnesota TBA chapter, led by Seth Thomas, their families, and their staff have dedicated so much time and preparation for helping us get the inventory and resources for the veterans to be successful.

We have a crew of about 3,000 Minnesota residents here volunteering this week in welcoming the veterans, helping them get registered today, helping the events, in all aspects. This community just has been outstanding. So we're really--

NINA MOINI: That's great to hear.

DAVE TOSTENRUDE: --we got a great start. Yeah.

NINA MOINI: Yeah. And Minnesotans do love to volunteer. I mean, there's research on that. That's really wonderful to hear there are 3,000 volunteers. Mark, I'd love to throw the last question to you. Would you have any advice or words that you'd want to share for somebody who is thinking about maybe pursuing this or pursuing something that they may not think is possible for them, or they're going to have to work really hard and it's a bit daunting, perhaps? What would be your advice?

MARK SCHULTZ: Don't wait. Get involved with it right away. You can go to the VA and they got therapists there. Mine has helped me out tremendously and got me not only in the cycling but in other things, too. Like this year-- that's why I've got more events. And it just grows on you because you get involved and you meet other people. And they've got the same kind of disabilities you have. And it's great because you know what to expect. You can handle it. And they'll help you out in every way possible.

NINA MOINI: Wonderful. Wow. Mark and Dave, thank you both so much for your time. All the best with the games this weekend.

DAVE TOSTENRUDE: Thank you very much.

MARK SCHULTZ: Thank you.

DAVE TOSTENRUDE: And we still need volunteers. So come on down to the Minneapolis Convention Center.

NINA MOINI: All right, Minnesotans, come on out. You heard him. Thanks, guys. That was Dave Tostenrude, the Director of the Wheelchair Games and the Veterans Association. Also on the line was Mark Schultz, a veteran and athlete competing in many events at the games. He's from Victoria.