Harmar recently had the honor to sponsor not one but two Veteran adaptive athletes at the 42nd National Veterans Wheelchair Games. Hosted in Portland, OR, over 450 Veterans gathered to enjoy each other’s comradery – and some healthy competition. Among those nearly 500 adaptive athletes were Harmar ambassadors Twila Adams and John Papai.
Twila has been with Harmar since 2018 and is a retired US Army non-commissioned officer (NCO). She joined the Army in 1980 and served as an NCO in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm, before leaving the military in 1991 due to medical issues. In 1994, she broke her C4 and C5 vertebrae in a car accident, leaving her paralyzed from the neck down. After being told she wouldn’t walk again, Twila proved her strength and determination once again, regaining partial use of her arms and right leg. This year, the award-winning adaptive sports athlete took home the bronze in air pistol, shotput, javelin, discus, and a gold in bowling.
John is Harmar’s newest ambassador, joining us in 2022, and made a huge splash this year at the Games, winning the gold in all his swimming events and air pistol, as well as a bronze in shotput. He is a Marine Corps Veteran as well as a prior law enforcement officer. During his time as a Marine, he suffered multiple knee injuries, eventually leading to an astounding 23 surgeries. Eventually, John made the difficult decision to amputate his leg from above the knee, ending his career with law enforcement, and beginning his journey as an accomplished adaptive athlete in multiple sports including three-track skiing, swimming, field sports, and wheelchair basketball.
The medals won are only the cherries on top – it is an honor to be able to sponsor Twila and John and cheer them on as they pursue their passions, lead by example, and help us spread our mission of lifting lives.
