Tim_VanVooren's Blog

Trey Roy is an impressive individual.  Born fourteen years ago with spina bifida, Roy hasn't allowed his condition to stand in the way of his athletic endeavors.  He is a standout wheelchair basketball player, but is even more impressive right now in track.  He will participate in July in an international paryalympics type event as a member of Junior Team USA.  He's truly an elite level competitor.  However, Trey is also a member of the Silverbrook Middle School team, lining up alongside his able-bodied teammates and his able-bodied opponents.  In an event like the mile, he lines up on the outside of the field and starts more slowly than the rest of the field.  He usually is able to accelerate past the group, though, and win going away.  As things stand now, he won't be able to do that next year.  His family's understanding of rules for high school competition in Wisconsin prohibit wheelchair athletes from lining up against able-bodied competitors.  Trey isn't a trailblazer type guy in terms of trying to take a stand.  In fact, it seems as though he is enjoying fifting in with the guys on his team as much as anything.  So this isn't his question, it's mine.  Should a wheelchair athlete be allowed to line up in a field of able-bodied competitors on the high school level ?