Games give disabled athletes competition

By Greg Elwell

Published: June 9, 2006

EDMOND - Maj. Ed Pulido wondered if he was going to live after an August 2004 bomb blast in Baquaba, in northeast Iraq, blew apart the sport utility vehicle he was riding in and destroyed his left leg.

Green to face country's best
Endeavor Games

Less than two years later, walking on a prosthetic leg, he said he wonders if he can hit the target on the archery range during the Endeavor Games at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Pulido will be one of about 300 athletes with disabilities competing at the games this weekend, and he hopes other soldiers with injuries will see their lives are far from over.

"When something like this happens to you, you ask yourself questions," he said. "'Can I do the things I used to do?' Yes, but to a different degree."

A big challenge
Once a runner, Pulido said he now has trouble walking quickly. Seeing athletes compete who have the same disability he has is inspiring.

"Right now, I'm challenging myself to walk better, be stronger," he said. "The challenge is to practice and train. Being around other athletes with disabilities provides a support system that helps without enabling."

Pulido said injured veterans returning from overseas should meet with people who have been living with disabilities and succeeding in spite of them.

That's true for almost all who come to the games, said Katrina Shaklee, assistant director for disabled sports and events at the University of Central Oklahoma.

Cause for inspiration
At the seventh annual Endeavor Games, which opened Thursday night and continue through Sunday at the University of Central Oklahoma and Deer Creek High School, athletes with disabilities will compete in a series of games open to people of all skill levels.

The university plays host to many events for athletes with disabilities, including skiing, powerlifting and training for the U.S. Paralympics team.

What makes the Endeavor Games so special is the chance for gold medal winners to teach novice athletes and inspire them, Shaklee said.

"It's a great learning opportunity for kids," she said. "The athletes can tell them, 'Look what you can do.'"

She said one great example of people who apply what they've learned at the Endeavor Games is Lori Daniels, who attended the games a few years ago.

After competing, the U.S. women's sitting volleyball team recruited her. Now she lives in Edmond and competes with the team.

While the event is an important one for athletes with disabilities, it's also a chance for others to interact and learn about disabilities, she said.

"We want everybody to come out," Shaklee said. "There are so many misconceptions people have."

One is that the Endeavor Games is like the Special Olympics, which offers competition for those with developmental disabilities.

"They have so many preconceived ideas, but it's not how they think it is," Shaklee said. "There's a big educational opportunity for people who come here."

One big pull for new spectators will be the Ultimate Endeavor Race. The event is invitation-only. Eight international athletes with below-the-knee amputations will race 100 meters, she said.

The last race Saturday afternoon -- the Ultimate Endeavor Race -- will surprise a lot of people, she said.

"These guys are fast," Shaklee said. "I hope people come out and see it."

No tickets are needed for Endeavor Games, and all are welcome to come and watch.

Anyone interested in more information about the events can go to www.ucok.edu/wellnesscenter/ds_endeavor.htm.