Strength in Sisterhood: Women Athletes Find Support, Empowerment at Wheelchair Games Meetup
When Le’Toi first competed at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Utah in 2016, she was among just a handful of women athletes.
Although she enjoyed the experience, she said it was often difficult to feel seen at an event dominated by hundreds of male competitors, and there were few opportunities for the women to connect.
This year, a record 80 women signed up to compete at the 2025 Games in Minneapolis – an emotional milestone for athletes like Le’Toi. She attributes much of that growth to initiatives like the NVWG Women Athletes Meetup, a networking event held Friday, July 18, that drew more than 50 women together for food, fellowship and mentorship.
“I didn’t feel the women’s presence when I first got here [in 2016]. I felt the vibe and the family bond, but not the women’s presence,” said Le’Toi, a U.S. Army Veteran, wheelchair basketball gold medalist and former NVWG Spirit of the Games winner. “To see all of the women who showed up to this, it really brings tears to my eyes. I love it.”
Paralyzed Veterans of America launched the women’s meetup four years ago in partnership with the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs. It was designed to offer a safe, supportive place where women athletes can share stories, build friendships and connect across generations and experiences, said Jennifer Massey, PVA’s associate director of research and education.
This year’s keynote speaker, Paralympian Sarah Adam, said women athletes have a responsibility to share the power of adaptive sports with other women, especially those newly diagnosed with a disability.
Adam, who made history in 2024 as the first woman named to the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby Team, said adaptive sports is about far more than building physical strength.
“It helps us reconnect with who we are, reminds us that we’re still competitors, we’re still leaders, we’re still bold and capable women,” she said. “Sometimes all it takes to unlock that confidence is another woman who sees it in us first.”
U.S. Navy Veteran Angela Walker, a member of PVA’s Wisconsin Chapter, said she finds encouragement and a sense of belonging from women Veterans who understand her journey, including the growing community of athletes she’s met through the Games.
“It’s important to know that we can comfort each other,” she said. “To me, that’s one of the most important reasons why we have to be together.”