Veterans’ Wheelchair Games ‘Motor Rally’ comes to OMSI

Here’s an unusual national sporting event that took place in East Portland, indoors, at OMSI …

Outside OMSI, competitors line up as the 42nd Annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games “Motor Rally” gets underway.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Portland was chosen by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to host the 42nd Annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games over the July 4th holiday weekend – and one of the venues selected in the Rose City for competition was the Oregon Museum of Science & Industry.

Being promoted as a “Motor Rally”, one would expect to see fire-spitting, hot rod wheelchairs racing around the OMSI parking lot. But instead, the event on July 6th turned out to be a bit more dignified – it more like taking a tour inside the closed-to-the-public museum, and out on the riverfront sidewalk about the Willamette River.

Its description as a “Motor Rally” would lead you to expect fire-spitting, hot rod wheelchairs racing around the OMSI parking lot.

But instead, the event on July 6th turned out to be much more dignified – it was more like taking a tour inside the closed-to-the-public museum, and out on the riverfront sidewalk above the Willamette River.

Andy DiFlorio, from Dayton, Ohio, stops at the first station in OMSI’s Turbine Hall to answer questions.

“Actually, in this event, US Military Veterans use motorized wheelchairs to go through a planned course, in and outside the museum,” VA Portland Health Care System Public Affairs spokesperson Kelli Roesch told East Portland News.

“Some of these Veterans are quadriplegics, and are permitted to use a puff or straw system to move the chair,” Roesch explained. “The course is about a mile long, and there are 10 stops along the way, where they are asked trivia questions about the area by volunteers.”

Another “Motor Rally” participant navigates his way through OMSI.

After the singing of the National Anthem, competitors lined up at OMSI’s front entrance, and with volunteer helpers at their sides, entered and began snaking their way through the museum.

Their first stop, for example, was the Turbine Hall. Next, they navigated their way out the back door and along the sidewalk along the Willamette River, where they were asked to point out the Portland VA facility.

Along the Willamette Riverwalk, US Air Force veteran Wandlyn Handy — from Dayton, Ohio — sees the sights of Portland.

The 42nd National Veteran Wheelchair Games local Organizing Chair, Shaun Benson, said that since its inception, the VA and the Paralyzed Veterans of America have put on this event in many communities which have large VA facilities.

“OMSI was chosen for this event, because we consider it one of the highlights of Portland, our host City,” Benson explained. “We reached out to OMSI, and they were really excited to be a part of this, and gave us their space for this event.”

This “Motor Rally” participant was asked to point out the Portland VA building in the West Hills.

The Veterans on wheels took their time and had a complete opportunity to explore Portland’s world-class science museum, on S.E. Water Avenue, just north of the Ross Island Bridge.

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