Wheelchair bowlers compete at USBC Open Championships
April 26, 2010
RENO, Nev. - One of the best attributes regarding the sport of bowling is that it can be played by people of all ages, skill levels and abilities, and John Budd of Batesville, Ind., and Kevin Schaefer of Fountain Valley, Calif., found out that the USBC Open Championships encourages those same sentiments.
Budd and Schaefer are wheelchair bowlers and members of the American Wheelchair Bowling Association. Joined by four other AWBA members, they made the trip the National Bowling Stadium to compete at the 2010 Open Championships last week. Schaefer made his third appearance at the tournament, while Budd made his first.
"I had a lot of fun," said Budd, who won the 2007 AWBA National Doubles title. "I love to bowl, and I love to compete. Any chance or opportunity that I get to do both, I am always around. When I found that Kevin needed extra bowlers, I was fortunate to get in contact with him."
As the team captain, Schaefer planned to watch his fellow competitors and did not plan to bowl in the team event. He was asked to sub before the team event began, and he did not hesitate.
"I was content with just watching everyone else bowl," said Schaefer, who won the 2006 AWBA National Doubles championship. "I was asked to sub, and I ended up bowling on the same pair as my original teammates. Everyone we bowled with was great. We like to encourage and cheer for everyone we are bowling with, even if we don't know them."
Budd and Schaefer have never been doubles partners, but both are U.S. Air Force veterans and have been confined to wheelchairs for more than 30 years.
Schaefer became paralyzed in 1975 while working as a combat paramedic transporting injured people from a tornado site. During the rescue, Schaefer endured a devastating fall and suffered two fractured ankles, a broken femur, and four different levels of his vertebrae were severely injured.
Budd was struck by a double semi-truck in Vail, Colo., in 1979, while he was on the shoulder of the highway waiting for a blizzard to cease. As the result of the accident, Budd's spine was severed. Budd had been given clearance for extended leave and was on his way to drop off his car because he'd just received word he was returning to Germany.
Budd and Schaefer's AWBA National Team teammates who joined them in Reno included Peter Arballo, who spends time as a tennis instructor, Toodie Perry, who helped win the doubles event at the 2009 Santa Cruz Tournament, Robert Kimrey, who was a member of the 2009 Pfister/Ramus Handicap team champions and David Nelson Jr., who competed in five events at the 2009 National Veterans Wheelchair Games, including discus, shot put, hand cycling, the 100-yard freestyle swimming event and bowling.
Budd and Schaefer have used their injuries as positives.
"I love the camaraderie," Budd said. "You can discuss your injuries with people who have similar injuries as you do. Sometimes, there might be different equipment that we can use to help with our injuries, but we wouldn't know unless we discussed it with each other. The love and respect that we have for each other is like no other. I love wheelchair bowling and also enjoy bowling against walking bowlers."
Bowling has helped many wheelchair bowlers get past their injuries, and Schaefer has seen how bowling changed many lives.
"We are just a very close knit group," Schaefer said. "If we haven't heard from a bowler in a while, we make sure we send him an email to see how he's were doing. If a member or someone we know passes away, just about the entire organization signs a card. Most of the time, there are three or four huge cards that are sent to the person's family."
The AWBA was founded by Richard Carlson in 1962. The organization now boasts more than 500 members nationwide, averaging anywhere from 60 to 200 and puts on more than 10 tournaments across the country including the National Championship, held every June. The attendance at the national event has grown from 30 in 1962 to more than 100 participants. This year's national event is scheduled for June 21-26 at Copperfield Bowl in Houston.
"We are the most competitive people," Budd said. "If you want to see the most determined and competitive group, I encourage you to watch any para-athlete. We want people to see what we can do, and most of all, we love to have fun."
Budd shot 493 in singles, 442 in doubles and 429 in team for a 1,364 all-events total, while Schaefer finished with 391 in doubles, 377 in team and 271 in singles for 1,039. Together, they helped the AWBA National Team to a 1,926 team total.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.
Budd and Schaefer are wheelchair bowlers and members of the American Wheelchair Bowling Association. Joined by four other AWBA members, they made the trip the National Bowling Stadium to compete at the 2010 Open Championships last week. Schaefer made his third appearance at the tournament, while Budd made his first.
"I had a lot of fun," said Budd, who won the 2007 AWBA National Doubles title. "I love to bowl, and I love to compete. Any chance or opportunity that I get to do both, I am always around. When I found that Kevin needed extra bowlers, I was fortunate to get in contact with him."
As the team captain, Schaefer planned to watch his fellow competitors and did not plan to bowl in the team event. He was asked to sub before the team event began, and he did not hesitate.
"I was content with just watching everyone else bowl," said Schaefer, who won the 2006 AWBA National Doubles championship. "I was asked to sub, and I ended up bowling on the same pair as my original teammates. Everyone we bowled with was great. We like to encourage and cheer for everyone we are bowling with, even if we don't know them."
Budd and Schaefer have never been doubles partners, but both are U.S. Air Force veterans and have been confined to wheelchairs for more than 30 years.
Schaefer became paralyzed in 1975 while working as a combat paramedic transporting injured people from a tornado site. During the rescue, Schaefer endured a devastating fall and suffered two fractured ankles, a broken femur, and four different levels of his vertebrae were severely injured.
Budd was struck by a double semi-truck in Vail, Colo., in 1979, while he was on the shoulder of the highway waiting for a blizzard to cease. As the result of the accident, Budd's spine was severed. Budd had been given clearance for extended leave and was on his way to drop off his car because he'd just received word he was returning to Germany.
Budd and Schaefer's AWBA National Team teammates who joined them in Reno included Peter Arballo, who spends time as a tennis instructor, Toodie Perry, who helped win the doubles event at the 2009 Santa Cruz Tournament, Robert Kimrey, who was a member of the 2009 Pfister/Ramus Handicap team champions and David Nelson Jr., who competed in five events at the 2009 National Veterans Wheelchair Games, including discus, shot put, hand cycling, the 100-yard freestyle swimming event and bowling.
Budd and Schaefer have used their injuries as positives.
"I love the camaraderie," Budd said. "You can discuss your injuries with people who have similar injuries as you do. Sometimes, there might be different equipment that we can use to help with our injuries, but we wouldn't know unless we discussed it with each other. The love and respect that we have for each other is like no other. I love wheelchair bowling and also enjoy bowling against walking bowlers."
Bowling has helped many wheelchair bowlers get past their injuries, and Schaefer has seen how bowling changed many lives.
"We are just a very close knit group," Schaefer said. "If we haven't heard from a bowler in a while, we make sure we send him an email to see how he's were doing. If a member or someone we know passes away, just about the entire organization signs a card. Most of the time, there are three or four huge cards that are sent to the person's family."
The AWBA was founded by Richard Carlson in 1962. The organization now boasts more than 500 members nationwide, averaging anywhere from 60 to 200 and puts on more than 10 tournaments across the country including the National Championship, held every June. The attendance at the national event has grown from 30 in 1962 to more than 100 participants. This year's national event is scheduled for June 21-26 at Copperfield Bowl in Houston.
"We are the most competitive people," Budd said. "If you want to see the most determined and competitive group, I encourage you to watch any para-athlete. We want people to see what we can do, and most of all, we love to have fun."
Budd shot 493 in singles, 442 in doubles and 429 in team for a 1,364 all-events total, while Schaefer finished with 391 in doubles, 377 in team and 271 in singles for 1,039. Together, they helped the AWBA National Team to a 1,926 team total.
Presenting sponsors for the 2010 USBC Open Championships are Circus Circus, Eldorado Hotel Casino and Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno, Nevada. Other sponsors include Sands Regency Casino Hotel, official brackets sponsor, Kegel, official lane maintenance provider, US Steltronic, official scoring system, and supporting sponsors Storm Bowling Products, UPS, Nationwide Insurance, Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa, Harrah's Reno Casino and Hotel and Peppermill Hotel Casino.