History of the Sun Wheelers

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​In 1976, the City of Virginia Beach Parks and Recreation Department started a wheelchair sports program offered through the Therapeutic Unit.  Wheelchair basketball was one of the core sports that were offered to city residents and others from around the Hampton Roads region.  After the first year, it was apparent that competitive games and travel was necessary for these newfound athletes.  In 1977, the 1st annual City of Virginia Beach Mayor’s Invitational Wheelchair Basketball Tournament was created and continues today.  As word spread of these new opportunities for recreation and competition for the physically disabled, more people became involved and the Sun Wheelers were born. Sun Wheelers, Incorporated, is a non-profit organization of mobility-impaired athletes and their supporters who are dedicated to raising awareness of wheelchair athletics and the resources that sponsor their adaptive sports programs on the Novice, Intermediate, Elite, and Youth Levels.  In the last thirty years of competition, Sun Wheeler Cagers have represented our region in national and international competition and placed players on the National Wheelchair Basketball Team. 

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