23rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games

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	VA Long Beach Healthcare System
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Daily Reports

Saturday, July 5
Sunday, July 6
Monday, July 7
Tuesday, July 8
Wednesday, July 9
Closing

2003 Spirit of the Games Award Winner
Wayne Miller is Always There for His Fellow Athletes

Wednesday, July 9, 2003

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Participants and spectators at the 23rd National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Long Beach easily identified Wayne Miller's leadership, drive and competitive spirit this week. As the 2003 Spirit of the Games Award winner, Miller personifies the best qualities of a wheelchair athlete. "Wayne Miller is a great competitor at every event. He is an outstanding team player, always cheering on his teammates and offering encouragement," said fellow participant James Milliken, of South Bend, Ind. "He helps the newer athletes with advice and tips. Wayne's spirit and enthusiasm is always there."

Wayne Miller shows his patriotic spirit at yesterday's field events.

Miller, a combat-wounded Marine Corps veteran of Vietnam from Silver Spring, Md., is an amputee (left leg above the knee) who has competed in these Games nearly every year since 1995. A frequent medal winner, he competed this year in softball, basketball, swimming, discus and shot-put, winning two silver and one bronze medal in those events as of noon today.

A talented singer (he won a gold medal in the 2000 National Veterans Creative Arts Festival in Prescott, Ariz.), Miller often performs in area nursing homes and other venues. He is especially proud of his rendition of "God Bless the USA," where he stands one-legged and salutes during the appropriate stanza. He sang the national anthem at this year's Sponsor Dinner and is also scheduled to sing the opening ceremonies of the National Veterans Golden Age Games in Bangor, Maine, next month.

VA Long Beach Healthcare System Director and competitor Ramon Reevey captured the bronze in 9-ball.

Athletes come to the National Veterans Wheelchair Games for any number of reasons. Many arrived at the Games this past Saturday looking for competition and camaraderie. Ramon Reevey has found those and more. In addition to competing in his own events, he is also responsible for supervising the entire Games as director of the VA Long Beach Healthcare System. This is the first time a VA director has ever competed in the Games.

"I've always wanted to compete, but the opportunity always seemed to be wrong," said Reevey. "There were health reasons,work reasons."

Reevey began his involvement with VA as a patient at the Long Beach VA following a car accident in 1968. He returned to school shortly afterward and received degrees in hospital administration from both Cal State and UCLA. After working in VA facilities from Newington, Conn., to Las Vegas, Reevey returned to his roots in Long Beach.

"Long Beach has always been special to me," Reevey said. "When the opportunity came to come up to Long Beach, I had to take it." When given the opportunity to host the Wheelchair Games, Reevey jumped at the chance. "Putting on the Games has been a hell of an experience," he said.

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