SAINT ANTONY – Athletes of varying physical abilities competed in sports including tennis, ergon cycling and track and field competitions at Morgan’s Wonderland Park, Morgan’s Wonderland Sport, STAR Soccer Complex and Heroes Stadium.
“Representation matters. I know that I could not meet other children with disabilities until I attended such camps. That’s huge,” said Dana Matthewson.
Matthewson is no stranger to competition. She is a two-time Paralympic tennis player who has represented Team USA in Tokyo and in Rio.
Her career took her to San Antonio on Saturday.
“It means a lot to me that I can now come back as a coach and be able to teach people and see little kids getting just as excited as I am,” Matthewson said.
That weekend, she and other coaches and volunteers helped athletes competing in the Texas Regional Games presented by The Hartford.
“It’s an accumulation for them to come and compete and show what they’re worth in training. It’s so hard treating a lot of them, some of our wounded service members, and it’s really a part of their rehab,” said Texas Regional Games director Wendy Gumbert.
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The scale of this competition is impressive – only a handful of these multisport competitions are held in the state.
“We’re part of the United series of competitions and that series serves the entire United States and has over 10, almost 15 competitions,” Gumbert said.
While that number is small, the impact on the lives of competing athletes is huge.
“Having a disability doesn’t limit you in the way that many people assume. When you see someone in a wheelchair and raise awareness of justice, so many good things come out of it,” Matthewson said.
Some of the athletes at the Games are preparing to qualify for the 2022 UIL State Track and Field Championships, while others are hoping to qualify for the Para-Olympics.
Games will continue on Sunday with prizes ending at 3pm
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