Gabriel George, a medically retired Navy corpsman, competed for Team USA at the Invictus Games in the Netherlands and was among the athletes cameras followed for the Netflix series, “Heart of Invictus.” George testified before the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee about making adaptive sports programs available to more disabled veterans, not just elite athletes. (Photo courtesy of Netflix)
WASHINGTON — Training and support that the Department of Veterans Affairs provides to disabled athletes competing next month in the Paralympics in Italy was highlighted at a Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs hearing.
The VA provides stipends to several athletes who are part of Team USA competing for medals in the 2026 Milan Cortino Paralympic Winter Games, which will run from March 6-15.
Events include wheelchair curling, para snowboarding and para Nordic skiing, among other competitions.
“I’m excited about the timing of this hearing in advance of the Paralympics,” said Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., the committee chairman, at the start of a hearing last week titled “Veteran Health and Healing through Adaptive Sports.”
The purpose of the hearing was to examine legislation that supports disabled veterans in adaptive sports, including elite athletes who advance to global competition at the Paralympics.
“As the 2026 games approach, I want to wish Team USA every success as they compete. These athletes inspire America and the world,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal, of Connecticut, the top Democrat on the committee.
The VA itself hosts six events each year, including the National Veterans Wheelchair Games, which will be held in July in Michigan.
More than 20,000 disabled veterans of all levels across the U.S. participate in adaptive sports programs and competitions that receive support from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The VA in fiscal 2025 awarded $16 million in grants to organizations offering adaptive sports activities, including cycling, kayaking, fishing, golf, winter sports and wheelchair basketball.
But Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said he worries that many veterans with disabilities do not even know about VA-sponsored adaptive sports programs serving the communities where they live.
Gabriel George, a retired Navy corpsman and disabled veteran testifies at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs hearing on Feb. 4, 2026, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
King said he considers adaptive sports a form of health care that can lower medical costs and substantially improve the lives of veterans with catastrophic injuries.
Gabriel George, a retired Navy corpsman and disabled veteran, echoed those comments.
George, of Texas, said that he discovered a passion for adaptive sports after suffering life-altering injuries following a vehicle accident while serving in the military.
The VA’s Adaptive Sports Grant Program and the Veterans Monthly Assistance Allowance have done “extraordinary work supporting elite athletes,” George said.
But he said there is a need for more adaptive sports programs at the community level and a greater awareness of them.
Programs designed around national competitions leave behind the majority of veterans who “desperately need weekly, community-based adaptive sports,” he said.
“I am here because adaptive court sports are not recreation. They are neuro-motor physical and social rehabilitation disguised as sport,” said George, whose right arm is amputated.
Today George serves as a director at Military Adaptive Court Sports, a national nonprofit providing adaptive sports programs to wounded, sick and disabled veterans.
He said the VA needs to prioritize community-based, therapeutic sports programs as well as support elite competition and national events for more advanced athletes.
George, who also has a spinal cord injury, teaches pickleball, racquetball and table tennis to other disabled veterans.
He described VA funding for court sports as high-return investments in adaptive rehabilitation for veterans.
“Every day, veterans with amputations, traumatic brain injury, PTSD, stroke, spinal cord injuries, and severe musculoskeletal trauma are being asked to relearn how to move, balance, react, and trust their bodies again,” George said.
Disabled veterans engaging in sports improve their hand-eye coordination, lateral movement, decision-making and functional strength, George said.
Julie Howell, associate legislative director for government relations for the Paralyzed Veterans of America, testifies at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs hearing on, Feb. 4, 2026, in Washington. (Eric Kayne/Stars and Stripes)
Adaptive sports “provide supportive opportunities for veterans to regain their confidence and independence while discovering a community that understands the complications and challenges faced by people with significant disabilities,” said Julie Howell, associate legislative director for government relations at Paralyzed Veterans of America.
She and George offered their support for legislation that includes the Veterans SPORT Act, which would provide greater access to specialized prostheses for disabled veterans seeking to participate in these programs.
The bill redefines “medical services” to include adaptive equipment for recreational activities that improve the quality of life for disabled veterans.
Another bill — the ASSIST Act — makes it easier for veterans to modify personal vehicles, which is especially important for disabled veterans in rural areas who may have limited or no public transportation.
Disabled veterans can get free assistance to travel to and from VA medical appointments, but there is nothing similar for participation in community-based recreational programs.
“Like most Americans, access to safe and reliable transportation is essential to the mobility, health and independence of catastrophically disabled veterans,” Howell said.
