Spanning decades
Canonsburg man among participants in national Wheelchair Games
When the National Veterans Wheelchair Games get underway in Detroit, Mich., on Thursday, Tom Strang of Canonsburg and Jorden Jones of Grindstone, Fayette County, will be among the athletes vying for gold.
The two are separated by 50 years in age – Strang, at 84, will be one of the oldest competitors at this year’s games, while Jones is 34 – but both are veterans who have refused to let their circumstances define their limits.
Strang first took part in the games in 1998 and has piled up honors, earning more than 100 medals over the years.
A U.S. Navy veteran who served as a torpedo man aboard the diesel submarine USS Carp, Strang worked as a construction electrician until he became a paraplegic after falling from the loft in his log home in 1990.
After the accident, Strang battled depression for years, but the games reignited his love for life and gave him a purpose.
Strang won a silver medal in archery and air rifle in his first competition – held in Pittsburgh – and he was hooked.
“The games give me a purpose,” said Strang in a 2019 interview with the Observer-Reporter. “One day, I was the breadwinner making good money and a really athletic outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing, and then I had the accident and it was over. I ended up overweight, I wasn’t eating right, wasn’t exercising.”
Strang, who serves on the board of directors of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, Keystone Chapter, has participated in games across the country, including Alaska, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
Attempts to reach Jones were unsuccessful.
About 500 veterans from across the country are participating in this year’s games, including six from Southwestern Pennsylvania. Events include basketball, softball, wheelchair rugby, weightlifting, and more.
The games, held annually, are sponsored by the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Paralyzed Veterans of America.
Being fit not only helps veterans excel at the games. Regular exercise helps them maintain body weight, sleep better, reduce anxiety and depression, make friends, and counter the stigma of disability.
The games also open veterans’ eyes to the adaptive sports possibilities.
“The Wheelchair Games epitomizes the strength, courage, and determination of our veterans.” said Dave Tostenrude, director of the National Veterans Wheelchair Games. “I’m excited for them to have this impactful experience as part of their health care journey.”
Together, Strang and Jones are reminding people that whether you’re 84 or 34, anything is possible when you are determined to overcome obstacles.