OLD-SCHOOL WHEELING- PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS STILL POSSIBLE FROM A WHEELCHAIR

I wrote this article for The Phoenix in July 2007....

 Jack Sikora, 53, from a small town in western Pennsylvania, has come a long way since appearing on an episode of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” He visited Mr. Rogers to show children what life is like in a wheelchair

 Wheelchair sports changed Jack’s life. He was paralyzed from the waist down due to a car accident in 1971. Since then, he has played and coached wheelchair basketball around the world.

 He has carried a certain banner for disabled athletes over the years, so much so that he has been inducted into several Halls of Fame, and is about to be inducted into yet another early this summer, a local Hall of Fame near Pittsburgh.

 He has become a role model for people with disabilities. “This shows that accomplishments can be realized if you put yourself forth,” he says

. Jack is the founder and chairman of the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers, a national wheelchair basketball team. He has competed for the U.S. national team in the Pan Am Games and has been a national pentathlon champion in the U.S. Paralympic Trials.

 Jack also has a fondness for track and field events, winning literally hundreds of gold medals, competing in various dashes, the javelin and discus

 It was a few years after his accident when Jack realized he could still play sports. A lot of vets returning from the Vietnam War had come home and were playing wheelchair sports. “Basketball was always my big love,” he admits.

 His accident occurred during his senior year in high school. He was a passenger in a car that got hit by a drunk driver. Jack was thrown from the car by the impact and broke his neck. He remembers the exact date of the incident - May 15 - like it is a birthday or anniversary.

 With much support over the years, from his wife to various coaches who inspired him not give up, along with those returning Vietnam vets, Jack put his life back together and sports became even a bigger part of his life.

 He attended the University of Pitt, keeping statistics for both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. And that is when he began to compete - and not only compete, but excel.

 “Without the help of so many people, I don’t know if I could have reached my dreams and endeavors,” he says gratefully.

 Now, he does more coaching than playing, which is fine with him. Most recently, Jack was named an assistant coach for the U.S. women’s basketball team hoping to qualify for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China.

 Hopefully it won’t be the last we hear of Jack Sikora.