2013 Warrior Games presented by Deloitte concludes with Chairman's Cup, Ulitmate Champion Presentation

Last Updated on Friday, 17 May 2013 09:06

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16, 2013

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - The 2013 Warrior Games presented by Deloitte concluded Thursday at the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., with the Marine Corps winning a fourth Chairman's Cup, awarded to the top overall performing service branch at the Warrior Games. Air Force Captain Mitchell Kieffer was crowned the Ultimate Champion based on individual accolades.

The Warrior Games, which features five U.S. teams (Army, Marine Corps, Navy/Coast Guard, Air Force and Special Operations) and the British Armed Forces team, is a competition for 260 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans held over six days at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and the U.S. Air Force Academy. In addition to Deloitte, the presenting sponsor, the fourth annual competition is also supported by the Department of Defense, Department of Veterans Affairs, USO, Fisher House Foundation, AT&T, BP, Budweiser, Semper Fi Fund and Daniels Fund.

"Congratulations to all of the 2013 Warrior Games competitors," said Charlie Huebner, chief of Paralympics for the United States Olympic Committee. "While we celebrate medals, this competition is really an example of how sport can change lives. We hope these service members and veterans don't stop here. The goal is for them to return home and get involved in sport programs in their communities."

The Chairman's Cup is a performance based team award based on each team's top finishes in individual events as well as sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball, the two team sports contested at the Warrior Games. The Marines claimed another Chairman's Cup with 100 points, topping Army, which finished with 85 points. Navy finished third while Air Force and Special Operations took fourth and fifth.

Highlighted by a 2-0 (25-21, 25-21) victory over defending champion Army in the sitting volleyball gold medal game, Marines won 34 gold medals, 33 silver medals and 26 bronze medals throughout the competition, leading the medal count in shooting, swimming and track and field. Marines won 93 medals of the 264 awarded at the Warrior Games.

Cpt. Kieffer (Apple Valley, Minn.), who has a traumatic brain injury from injuries sustained when his convoy was attacked in Baghdad, joins inaugural winner U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Daniel Hathorne and Staff Sergeant Scott Martin, Marine Corps Veteran, and two-time winner Marine Cpt. Jonathan Disbro as Ultimate Champion. The Ultimate Champion title is based on five competitions: 50-meter freestyle in swimming; 10m prone air rifle, shooting; 100m sprint, track; race based on disability category, cycling; and shot put, field.

Kieffer's performance at the Warrior Games was highlighted by silver medal in the 10 meter prone air rifle competition. He finished fourth in the men's bicycle open event and the 50m freestyle. In track and field, he finished seventh in the men's 100m and eighth in the shot put.

Marine Sgt. Jorge Toledo (Oceanside, Calif.) finished second in the Ultimate Champion competition with veteran Marine Sgt. Brian Riley (San Diego, Calif.) taking third. Other competitors were Army Staff Sgt. Krisell Creager-Lumpkins (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Air Force Captain Sarah Evans (Shalimar, Fla.), retired Navy Operations Specialist 2nd Class Joe Frank (San Diego, Calif.), veteran Army Staff Sgt. Seth Jahn (Lakeland, Fla.) of Special Operations, veteran Senior Airman Kendell Madden (Parker, Colo.) of Special Operations and Navy Chief Gunner's Mate Jeannette Tarqueno (Honolulu, Hawaii).


2013 Chairman's Cup final standings
Name Medals Points
Marines 93 100
Army 81 85
Navy 23 37.18
Air Force 30 31
Special Operations 16 21.25


British Armed Forces won 21 medals but cannot compete for the Chairman's Cup


2013 Ultimate Champion final standings
Name Branch Points
Mitchell Kieffer Air Force 8
Jorge Toledo Marines 7
Brian Riley Marines 6
Sarah Evans Air Force 4
Krissell Creager-Lumpkins Army 4
Joe Frank Navy 0
Seth Jahn SOCOM 0
Kendell Madden SOCOM 0
Jannette Tarqueno Navy 0

For more information, please contact Jamie Blanchard, U.S. Paralympics, at 719-866-2068 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 

Sadler's Alaska Challenge 2013 Race Roster

Sadler’s Alaska Challenge

“The Longest and Toughest Handcycle Race in the world” July 14-21, 2013

The event, now run every other year, will include 20 athletes this July, and there is a long waiting list of top racers.

This year's roster will include athletes from five nations, and boasts four Paralympic medalists. The race will include four categories, and for the first time ever, each category will include a Paralympic Champion.

In the Women’s Handcycle division, Muffy Davis, London 2012 triple Gold Medalist, will be competing in her first Sadler's Alaska Challenge (SAC). Davis will be joined by her Gold-medal winning London 2012 handcycle relay teammate Oscar Sanchez, who is the favorite in the Men's H4 category. Sanchez, who also won a bronze in the London Paralympic Time Trial, will be competing in his third SAC.

The 2013 edition of the Sadler’s Alaska Challenge is also an international affair with racers from the US, United Kingdom, Germany, Canada and Austria. German racer, Peer Bartels is returning to see if he can reclaim the title he won in 2005 & 2006 in the Men’s H2 division, although he will have to battle Walter Ablinger of Austria, another London 2012 Gold Medalist. To complete the Gold medal trend, the H3 division also includes a Paralympic Champion, Rafal Wilk of Poland, who will also try to win the longest and toughest handcycle race in the world.

Complete Race Roster for the 2013 Sadler’s Alaska Challenge

Men H2

Walter Ablinger, Austria
Peer Bartels, Germany
Ken Bestine, United States
Jacob Freeland, United States
Butch Martin, United States
Final Spot, to be determined

Men H3

Gerrard Ahfook
Larry Coutermarsh
Carlos Moleda
Michael Postell
Jeffery Snover
Rafal Wilk

Men H4

Joseph Beimfohr
Robert Puckett
Oz Sanchez
Alfredo De los Santos

Women Handcycle

Muffy Davis
Carrie Finale
Thea Rosa
Karin Korb

 

Landmark Announcement from US Department of Education Regarding Sports for Students with Disabilities

On January 25, 2013 the US Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights announced the publication of Guidelines clarifying schools responsibilities to students with disabilities under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to provide athletic opportunities for students with disabilities. This impact of this action sis being compared to Title IX and the impact it had on sports for girls.

Locally Challenge Alaska has provided sport opportunities for youth with disabilities since 1980 and in 2009 began a partnership with the Anchorage School District to provide both a developmental and competitive sports program for ASD students. The Developmental Program is for youth k-12 and provides an introduction to all Paralympic Sports. The Competitive Program has two seasons Wheelchair Basketball in the fall and Wheelchair Soccer in the Spring.

Challenge Alaska and the Anchorage School District will continue to provide quality sports opportunities for students with disabilities to meet the newly published Guidelines

Complete Guidelines can be found at

http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/letters/colleague-201301-504.html

 

 

Welcome to Challenge Alaska

Challenge Alaska strives to improve the lives of people with disabilities and the whole community through adaptive sports, therapeutic recreation and education. Participation in our programs helps people break down the barriers that exist for them in many aspects of life, by building confidence and security, creating an infrastructure for support, increasing mobility, and improving health; which in turn promotes education, social development and involvement, employment, and the ultimate goal of independence.

To learn more about what we do, browse the menu items above. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your visit!