Don Waddell aims to add to his medal collection at this year's National Veterans Wheelchair Games.

Don't bet against him.

"He's done really well," said his friend and counterpart, Gary Duvall. "That's Mr. Medal."

At the wheelchair games in Spokane in 2009 and Denver last year, Waddell won two golds, two silvers and three bronze medals.

Not that Duvall hasn't held his own. He claimed a silver medal in Spokane in handcycling and a bronze in Denver in weightlifting.

The games, he said, are great.

"We've been waiting all year for them," said Duvall, who also clocked a wheelchair marathon of 2 hours, 5 minutes in Pocatello.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games are scheduled. Aug. 1-6 in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Waddell and Duvall, disabled veterans and members of the DAV in Post Falls, share similarities. Both live in the Coeur d'Alene area. Both are restricted to wheelchairs. Both train hard. Both want to win.

"It keeps our competitive side up there," Duvall said with a grin. "It brings out the inner sportsmen in us - it's been hidden so long."

The competition, adds Waddell, will be fierce battles between men and women on wheels.

"You have the camaraderie," he said.

More than 600 athletes will be at the wheelchair games.

"How many times have you seen 600 people in wheelchairs take over a town?" Duvall asked, chuckling. "That's the amazement of the whole thing."

Duvall's story

Duvall was in the U.S. Navy from 1970 to 1977. He was a hospital corpsman attached to Marines in 1971. He was injured in 1972, but returned to active duty until medically discharged in January 1977.

He started using a wheelchair full time in 2008 due to injuries sustained in Vietnam in 1972. A knee replacement surgery in 1994 wasn't successful, and there were problems with blood clots.

"I'm kind of stuck," he said, laughing.

His history with the veteran's games includes trap shooting, air rifle, and handcycling in the 2009 Spokane games, where he won a silver medal. In the 2010 games, he shot trap again, as well as air rifle, continued with handcycling, and added weightlifting, winning the bronze medal for lifting in his division.

This year, Gary will enter handcycling and weightlifting events again, while adding the 800 meter and the 1,600 meter wheelchair races.

"For me the games are fun, but it's the getting together of the men and women who have served in the military and who are now in wheelchairs like myself that is the best part," the 58-year-old said. "It's so important to know that we can still do so many different sports and that being in a wheelchair isn't the end, it's a new beginning."

Waddell's story

Waddell grew up in Coeur d'Alene and graduated from CHS in 1967. He joined the Army in 1968, served in Germany, and was discharged in 1970. In 1973, he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, and has been in a wheelchair since.

It doesn't stop him from getting around.

He trains often on the Centennial Trail around Lake Coeur d'Alene and has raced in the Spring Dash about 15 times. At the games in Pittsburgh, his events will be bench press, obstacle coarse, 200 and 400 meter wheelchair race and the 10K handcycle race.

The games, Waddell said, gave him new life.

"It's made a big difference for me," the 63-year-old said.

Waddell said it's nice sometimes to be with others facing similar challenges.

"I'm usually the only guy in a wheelchair, so it's cool," he said.

The Games

There are more than 20 events wheelchair veterans participate in during the week. Each veteran can select three or fours events.

During the games meals are provided. Veterans pay for travel and lodging.

Waddell and Duvall plan to travel by truck to save money and help local teammates by taking a trailer full of the equipment - specialized wheelchairs, handcycles, trap guns, air rifles and bowling balls.

DAV Chapter 9 in Post Falls is contributing $1,000.

"We are very proud of them," said Robert Hunt.

Duvall said if he hadn't competed in the wheelchair games two years ago, he would probably be "pretty sedentary" today.

"I was getting worse and worse as far as the ability to get around. They told me to come to the wheelchair games," he said

He recalled arriving in Spokane with an old handcycle unit.

"They said, 'why don't you use one of new ones?'"

He did and hasn't stopped pushing his limits.

"I like to see what I can do," he said.

Duvall trains three times a week on the road with his handcycle, and twice a week with weights at the Kroc Center. His coach, Lorraine Bourget, says he's peaking to perform well in Pittsburgh. She's been working with Duvall on his endurance to prepare for the 800 and 1600.

"I think he's got a lot of power behind him," she said.

Waddell works out twice a week at Fitness on Fourth, besides his road work outside.

He tries to push beyond his limits.

"By the time you get done, your butt's kicked," he said.

Want to help?

To assist Don Waddell and Gary Duvall with travel expenses to the National Veterans Wheelchair Games Aug. 1-6 in Pittsburgh, Pa., send donations to: DAV Chapter 9, c/o Robert B. Hunt, QMC, USN, Ret. Chapter Adjutant and Past State Cdr., 2536 W. Falling Star Loop, Post Falls, Idaho 83854-9808. Donors will receive a thank you and a tax deductible receipt.