BEAVERTON -- Wheelchair rugby star Will Groulx of Portland was the main attraction last week at a national wheelchair rugby camp at Beaverton, OR based ADAPT Training.
Paralympic Rugby U.S. Team Assistant Coach Ed Suhr teamed with specialists from ADAPT Training to put on the rugby clinic which ran June 28th through July 2nd. Seven athletes attended the clinic which cost $600 for the week per athlete. On the first day of training, David Mengyan from Michigan said he got my money’s worth.
"It's a competitive outlet that I haven't had other than like video games. Where else can I compete on an equal level?," said Mengyan. Groulx is a hero in the sport of wheelchair rugby, most notably helping the US team to win the gold medal in Beijing during the Paralympics in 2008.
He was named the team MVP despite playing with a torn rotator cuff. Prior to his injury he was an elite athlete playing volleyball at the University of Tennessee.
After college, Groulx was a Submariner in the US Navy. In August of 2000, he was in a motorcycle accident which left him paralyzed with only partial use of his hands.
About a year after his accident, Groulx started playing wheelchair rugby. Today, Groulx mentors children who have similar spinal cord injuries, helping them cope with the transition.
Groulx is member of the Portland Pounders Wheelchair Rugby team.
ADAPT Head Trainer Jerod Warf put on the clinic which included full-court scrimmages.
LINKS: www.adapttraining.com
