WS

Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF provides people with disabilities the opportunity to participate in outdoor activities. Its magazine, Wheelin' Sportsmen, and its Web site, www.wheelinsportsmen.org, are dedicated to the education and entertainment of these enthusiasts and their able-bodied outdoor partners.
Wheelin' Sportsmen is the realization of founder Kirk Thomas, a paraplegic who, along with NWTF volunteers is delivering, and in some cases, re-introducing activities such as hunting, fishing, boating, bird watching and much more to an international audience.

EDGEFIELD, S.C. - Dana Bowman of Willow Park, Texas, a double amputee who's made more than 1,000 parachute jumps after losing both legs, is the newest spokesman for Wheelin' Sportsmen, the National Wild Turkey Federation's program for sportsmen and women with disabilities
"Traveling across the United States, I meet a lot of inspiring individuals, both disabled and non-disabled," said Kirk Thomas, Wheelin' Sportsmen national coordinator. "But Dana Bowman is a hero."
In 1994, Bowman, a member of the U.S. Army's elite Golden Knights parachute team, was practicing a crossing maneuver with his partner. Instead of crisscrossing, they crashed into each other traveling at more than 300 mph. Bowman's legs were severed from his body; his partner died instantly.
Bowman's incredible story will be featured on Turkey Country, a hunting series produced by the NWTF. The show will run on The Outdoor Channel during a Veterans Day Special on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 5 and 9 p.m.
"It's about picking yourself up, to be able to adjust to the obstacles and barriers in life," said Bowman. "I had to pick myself up. I was able to persevere and go back to the Golden Knights."
Nine months after the accident, Bowman became the first double amputee to re-enlist in the U.S. Army. He re-joined the Golden Knights, made more than 1,000 jumps and became the U.S. Parachute Team's lead speaker and recruiting commander. After retiring from the Army in 1996, he received his bachelor's degree and now travels the country giving motivational speeches and working with people with disabilities.
"Every once in a while, you run into a great role model and Dana is one," said Thomas. "He is a super individual with a great personality and it's going to be an honor to have him represent Wheelin' Sportsmen."
Bowman's motto is "It's not the disability...it's the ability!" He says the perception that people with disabilities are incapable of leading active lives is one he's out to change. This is evident by what he's done since his accident - skydiving, waterskiing, snowskiing, and flying airplanes and helicopters.
"As a Wheelin' Sportsmen national spokesman, some of my efforts are going to be enrollment and to be able to help educate soldiers and veterans about this great program," said Bowman. "Wheelin' Sportsmen can open a lot of doors for soldiers and veterans, and I'm going to be there to help along the way."