Champs Crowned at Extremity Games
Rochester Hills, MI (May 29, 2013) – Celebrating its 8th year of joining together adaptive athletes on a national stage, Extremity Games 8 went off without a hitch last weekend on May 25th, 2013. Competing on what is arguably one of the toughest tracks in the Midwest, Baja Acres Motocross Park of Millington, Michigan hosted the event as part of their Memorial Day Weekend where 3 champions were crowned, taking home top honors in their respective classes.
Organized by Athletes with Disabilities Network, Extremity Games provides athletes living with limb loss (i.e. amputees) or limb difference (i.e. paraplegics) a venue where they can compete on an equal playing field with other adaptive athletes.
Alongside returning Extremity Games Champion, and professional motocross legend Doug Henry, two new Champions earned their place on the top step of the podium in 2013. Max Gomez from New Rochelle, New York and Steve Howe from Menifee, California both went 1-1 in the Stand-up-Lower and Stand-up-Upper classes, respectively. Both racers were first-time Extremity Games competitors, adding even further depth to the ever-growing field of adaptive racers.
“I was a little nervous, but the race went well”, said Stand-up-Upper 1st place finisher Steve Howe. “I ended up getting the holeshot in the first and second moto… kinda put my head down, charged away, and didn’t look back.”
Supported by RCH Racing (a professional motocross team lead by 15-time National Champion Ricky Carmichael and freestyle motocross pioneer Carey Hart), Steve Howe credits a long list of RCH partner companies who reached out to provide various resources, and especially its Team Manager Kenny Watson and mechanic Shawn Bell for his success and the new-found experiences that Extremity Games has provided him.
Racers Mike Schultz, Harold Glissen, and Doug Henry echoed this statement, thanking their respective sponsors and speaking to the significance of Extremity Games and its importance for disabled athletes across the country.
“It gives people with a disability the ability to go back to doing something they love”, said Henry when asked about the Extremity Games. “When I was in the hospital and I got to see someone that was paralyzed—riding a motorcycle—I knew that there was hope”.
Podium Results for all three classes are as follows:
Stand-up (Lower Extremity)
1st Max Gomez
2nd Mike Schultz
3rd Jason Jackson
Stand-up (Upper Extremity)
1st Steve Howe
2nd Drake Smeltz
3rd Harold Glissen
Sit-down (Paraplegic)
1st Doug Henry
2nd Tyler Frye
3rd John Harris
To find out more on the Extremity Games and how you can help spread awareness for this great event, please visit extremitygames.com or visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/extremitygames.
About Extremity Games
Extremity Games, organized by Athletes with Disabilities Network, is an extreme sports event including competitions, instructional clinics and exhibitions for individuals amputations or spinal cord injuries. Organized to raise awareness of the abilities of athletes with limb loss or limb difference to compete in extreme sports, Extremity Games allows participants to demonstrate skill, persistence and passion while competing for cash and other prizes. You can brace a limb, replace a limb, but There is No Replacement for the Competitive Spirit™. For more information, visit www.extremitygames.com
About Athletes with Disabilities Network
Extremity Games is organized by Athletes with Disabilities Network (ADN), whose mission is to promote a better quality of life by creating opportunities for people with physical disabilities. In addition to Extremity Games, ADN operates and organizes the Athletes with Disabilities Hall of Fame, the only Hall of Fame completely dedicated to honoring individuals with disabilities for sport and recreation achievement. Other programs include Mentoring and Outreach, and the Adaptive Sports Coalition. For more information, visit www.adnpage.org.
