Top-Tier Teams, Elite Athletes Competing at 2025 PVA Wheelchair Rugby Invitational
This year’s eighth annual Paralyzed Veterans of America Wheelchair Rugby Invitational featured one impressive list of current and former Paralympians.
Nearly 20 elite-level athletes have competed on the courts this weekend at the University of Louisville Student Recreation Center in Louisville, Ky.
That includes four, Josh Wheeler and Anthony McDaniel from the Wounded Warriors Abilities Ranch (WWAR) Generals and Scott Hogsett and Joe Jackson from the Abiilty360 Heat, who reached Sunday’s Division I title game.
With many of the nation’s top tier teams, including the top 12 teams from January’s United States Wheelchair Rugby Association rankings and 19 of the top 30 ranked teams overall, Wheeler thought it was a major high-profile and strong competition showcase.
“This is probably the best tournament with the highest level players in the top division other than nationals this year,” says Wheeler, who sustained a broken neck after being struck by a car while on his motorcycle in 2006.
After Saturday’s second day, the WWAR Generals (4-0) stayed undefeated, while the Ability360 Heat (3-1) will get a rematch against the team that beat them in the Division I final.
The WWAR Generals knocked off the Texas Stampede, 51-47, in one afternoon semifinal, while Ability360 defeated the University of Michigan Wolverines, 57-49, in the other. They’ll face each other again, after WWAR defeated Ability360 in a Saturday morning game.
It’s been a tournament filled with high-caliber athletes, including eight players from the 2024 U.S. Paralympic silver-medal winning team, including four-time Paralympian Chuck Aoki (University of Michigan), three-time Paralympians Eric Newby (DASA St. Louis Bombers; 2016, 2020 and 2024) and Wheeler (2016, 2020 and 2024) and one-time Paralympians Sarah Adam (DASA St. Louis Bombers), Mason Symons (Oscar Mike Militia), Zion Redington (Lakeshore Demolition), Brad Hudspeth (DASA St. Louis Bombers) and Josh O’Neill (DASA St. Louis Bombers).
But wait, there’s more. There’s McDaniel (a 2016 U.S. Paralympian), Jackson (a 2021 U.S. Paralympian) and three-time U.S. Paralympians Hogsett (2004, 2008 and 2012) and Seth McBride (2008, 2012 and 2016). Six-time Canadian Paralympian Michael Whitehead plays for the WWAR Warriors, while U.S. 2021 Paralympian Chuck Melton plays for the WWAR Generals, and 2004 U.S. Paralympian Bob Lujano plays for the Lakeshore Demolition.
Additionally, Chris Fleace (Oscar Mike Militia), Jason Sandor (University of Michigan), Justin Beavers (Portland Pounders), Travis Baker (WWAR Generals), Aoki, Hudspeth, Jackson, McDaniel, Redington and Symons each just made the 2025 U.S. National Training Wheelchair Rugby team in January this year.
And don’t forget that two-time 2012 and 2020 Paralympian and Team USA wheelchair national and Paralympic rugby coach Joe Delagrave coaches the Oscar Mike Militia.
That’s a ton of top-end experience.
For Symons, it’s marked a bit of a change in his gameplay and style.
After playing at the 2024 Paris Paralympics and being more of a third option, outlet and defensive stopper, Symons served as Oscar Mike Militia’s main scoring threat and primary defensive stopper at the PVA Wheelchair Rugby Invitational. An Army veteran who served from 2008-2011 as a truck vehicle mechanic, Symons sustained a level C5-C7 spinal cord injury May 15, 2009, in Pennsylvania in a motor vehicle accident. He’s tall, and he uses his height and upper body strength to work and push past his opponents. Different tournaments, different levels, and he adjusts.
“My role in this level is to be the number one man out there. Kobe [Bryant], MJ [Michael Jordan], right? So, do everything I can,” Symons says. “And then the Paralympic level, I’m kind of like the three man, you know? I’m kind of a Dennis Rodman kind of defensive guy. Offensively, I’m kind of like a Shaq [O’Neal]. Slow, methodical, give me the ball, score. If you don’t need me, at least I have someone on me. Right? So, yeah, just being a tall outlet and helping the smoothness of the game go.”
For other Paralympians, like Aoki and Adam, the tournament has been full off squaring off and playing games against each other. Aoki and Adam’s teams played each other on Friday’s opening day, with Aoki’s University of Michigan team taking down’s Adam’s DASA St. Louis Bombers, 56-41.
It’s not too new to them, though.
Aoki estimates they’ve faced each other about 60% of the time during Team USA national and Paralympic team wheelchair rugby practices.
And Adam considers it a fun challenge going up against one of the best players in the world and says it’s a “friendly rivalry.”
“He’s really good at just taking off and getting that deep ball. So, just trying to contain him. That’s all you ever can do against Chuck is try to contain him, try to get to keep the ball out of his hands and into somebody else’s,” Adam says. “We’ve recently been getting a lot of fun one-on-one, like racing, basically racing downcourt, seeing who can beat each other because our speeds are relatively similar … He’s trying to make sure I can’t get up to my top speed and being really physical. I’m faster, a little lighter. I think we’re pretty even in some ways. He’s got the power. I’ve got the speed. This is why we work so well together on Team USA.”
Meanwhile, Aoki says he’s seen Adam grow over the past four to five years, thanks in part to her work ethic and training. She’s gotten tips and help from Delagrave and other teammates, as well.
“She’s a little faster than me, like at the very top end. So, I know that I have to stop her before she gets to there. Otherwise, she’s just going to fly by me. I think that I can be more a little more physical than her. So, that’s why I try to do,” Aoki says. “I try to, but she knows that. And so she knows how to kind of use that aggressiveness against me sometimes. And I think that’s something she’s gotten better at as well, is kind of understanding, like, when I’m about to do something, she goes and then I’m kind of left in my skates.”