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For many individuals with disabilities, accommodating sports is a great way for them to find their passion. Athletes with physical and visual disabilities competed in a paralympic-style event in San Antonio over the weekend in the Texas Parasport Games.
Competitors from all over Texas with a range of disabilities competed in air gun, wheelchair tennis, and para powerlifting this weekend at Morgan’s Wonderland Event Center.
Returning parasport athlete Linden Williamson of Boerne was ready to compete in her first air gun competition.
“They have the Paralympic coach here who's been teaching us the pointers, and they have the equipment for us to try out, and here I am having a great time,” said Williamson.
Marco de la Rosa is an air gun competitor and coach who lives in San Antonio. He says patience is key for newcomers.
“That's one thing with this thing. It’s a lot of mental, a lot a lot of patience, because when you first start, everybody's not good at it. Everybody, I mean, it's just like that. But in like everything, the more practice you do it, the better you get,” said de la Rosa.
Fourteen-year-old TJ Mosley said he wanted to find another sport to participate in.
“Me and my mom were just looking for stuff to do, and we saw air rifle because we already went to, like, learn how to shoot. So this is just like a nice sport to, like, get into it,” said Mosley.
Mosley’s mom Tia Mosley said TJ has been waiting a year to participate in air gun competitions.
“He tried archery, but he wasn't really into it. But he always loved air rifle and the shooting sports, but he was too young at the time, so he had to be 14 to start,” said Mosley. “So he had to wait. And so he's been patiently waiting and waiting. And then so last year was his first year to really hop in. And then so this year he's really, really trying to make it to the nationals. Now he just loves it, and he wants to do it long-term already.”
Wheelchair tennis coach Michael Hanes of Austin highlighted 13-year-old Miles Lyn, who competed against adults.
“Well, he's currently ranked number seven in the United States and number two in Texas, and that's an '18 u,' which is 18 and under, and he's only 13 years old. So we look forward to him really doing well and probably playing internationally starting next year,” said Hanes.
Miles Lyn says he’s learned quite a few techniques in wheelchair tennis.
“How to put top spin on a ball and the right strokes for forehand and backhands,” said Lyn.
Jani Merritt from Greenville, South Carolina competed in the powerlifting competition.
“I did 53 kilograms, which is a little bit more than, I think, 115 pounds in power lifting,” said Merritt.
Merritt said she got her start in powerlifting when she was ill on deployment in the Army.
“So I got sick in 2022 on a deployment. I'm in the army. And then while recovering, I got really sick in 2024 which caused me to have left side hemiparesis,” said Merritt. “And part of my rehab was seeing if I was interested in power lifting to help me with my mobility control.”
Qualifiers of The Hartford Nationals - Move United and qualifiers for the USA Track & Field national championships will travel to national championships in Michigan and New York respectively in July.
The Texas high school track & field athletes will have University Interscholastic League (UIL) Regionals on May 14-16 and the State Championship the week after that.
