Some friendships are measured in decades.
Jimmie Torres and I first met as novices at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in San Antonio in 1993. Neither of us could have imagined where that journey would lead. We both returned to the Games year after year, competed as Paralympians and later served in leadership roles within the adaptive sports and veteran communities.
More than 30 years later, we found ourselves together again at the 2026 National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Detroit.
Seeing Jimmie again was especially meaningful. In 1995, he was honored with the Spirit of the Games Award—an honor he truly earned through his unwavering positivity, sportsmanship, and encouragement of others. Since his first Games in 1993, he has attended every National Veterans Wheelchair Games except last year, when health challenges kept him away.
This year, he was back.
He arrived with supplemental oxygen tubing in his nose, but that infectious spirit in his heart was exactly the same. When we talked, he told me he plans to keep coming to the Games for as long as he can—until the very end. That kind of commitment speaks volumes about what these Games mean to so many of us.
Reconnecting with Jimmie reminded me that the Games have always been about more than competition. They’re about friendships, shared experiences, resilience, and the camaraderie that keeps bringing us back year after year.
As I watched more than 550 athletes compete in Detroit—including over 150 first-time participants—I couldn’t help but think back to our first Games in 1993. Today’s rookies are building memories and friendships that may last a lifetime, just as ours have.
It was an honor to catch up with an old friend whose example continues to inspire everyone around him. Here’s to the connections that begin on the court, the track, or the field—and endure long after the medals are awarded.
