Adjusting back to being in the US hasn't been easy. With scheduled plane stops in Singapore and Tokyo and a 12.75 hour time difference between Kathmandu and Los Angeles, my body's internal clock was totally messed up. I was happy to be in the US in time for the NBA finals but watching television with all of the commercials to buy, buy, buy made me sick.
For three days I was either sleeping too much or not enough, feeling a bit nauseous; I wasn't myself. On the third day my father suggested that we go see some children with disability play baseball (softball). I absolutely jumped at this opportunity as ever since I lived in India I've become tied to working with people with disability especially around sports. In Nepal I've coached wheelchair basketball, but had never seen youngsters with disability play baseball.
This particular event was the culmination of the Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team (WWAST) Kids Camp. "To qualify to attend Kids Camp, children must be between 8 – 12 years old, with an amputation or missing limb, and be physically capable of participating in daily softball clinics. Priority is given to children who otherwise qualify and are from military families. Regardless of the location of Kids Camp, children from all over the country are eligible to attend. WWAST pays all expenses for the child and a parent, including travel, meals and lodging."
The mission of WWAST is "To inspire and educate others while enhancing the health and welfare of Wounded Warrior Amputees"
The WWAST is comprised of young, competitive, athletic veterans and active duty soldiers who have lost limbs. The team includes individuals with a variety of amputations — of the arm, above knee, below knee, bilateral below knee, and foot. Some are still in the service, others are attending college thanks to the Post-9/11 GI Bill while others have moved on to new careers. They now travel the country playing abled-bodied teams in competitive, celebrity and exhibition softball games, bringing their special brand of softball, courage and inspiration.
WWAST athletes are examples of amputees who continue to push the limits of modern prosthetic technology with more and more applications. Their dream is the return of all soldiers from harm’s way without the resulting loss of life and limb. Until such a time, the goal is to support and honor the soldiers and veterans sacrifices, and to show other amputees and everyone who sees or hears about WWAST that life without a limb is limitless.
This baseball game made me think about the the Nepal Army Wheelchair Basketball team and all of the other wheelchair athletes working with ENGAGE, those who are blind working with Blind Rocks, Sushil Adhikari and his brother and the National Federation of the Disabled and the Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association, i.e. those people with disability pushing their limits in Nepal. I thought about how much further the gifted athletes in Nepal could come if they had access to similar resources that those in the US are accustomed to.
The baseball diamond at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo was beautiful and accessible, the athletes all had the finest in prosthetics, the media was interested and covering the event, but more importantly there was support from the children's parents and the adoring crowd cheering on the athletes every move. There was great awareness and acceptance that these athletes, no matter what their disability should be able to participate as much as they wanted just like anyone else.
I understand that the amount of resources and "fight for rights" is different in the US and Nepal. But on another level it takes a caring society to make a difference, to be mindful and eliminate barriers erected by those who are able-bodied. Because of numerous Nepali organisations and the many individuals who are committed to full rights things are changing. But we all can do more, especially those who are able-bodied to create a more inclusive society.
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