Endeavor Games brings athletes from across the country to the Summit City

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WPTA) - It’s a busy weekend in Fort Wayne as athletes from across the country will be competing in this year’s Endeavor Games.

The games give athletes with physical and visual disabilities the chance to compete against one another, something the older athletes agree helps the younger ones.

“It brings them out of their shell, because a lot of them don’t have any confidence and this is a great way to build their confidence and say ‘Oh, I can do this’,” Tom Hunter said.

Tom Hunter is from Fort Wayne and is participating in his first Endeavor Games this year.

So, I asked him what makes the event so special.

“The feeling that your able to participate in a sport,” Hunter said. “Working up a sweat, hitting a softball, hitting a tennis ball.”

Tom not only told me about working up a sweat, but he also gave me the full experience, inviting me for a pickup basketball game.

It was a bit of a learning curve, but once we got going, it was hard to stop the fun.

I’ll admit, I may have been the worst player on the court. But, as Tom emphasized, skill isn’t important on those courts, it’s all about having fun.

“Just seeing the little kids who are doing this for the first time or the second time, just seeing the smiles on their face, because you’d think they just won the World Series or Super Bowl or something when they score a goal or make a catch or hit the ball,” Hunter said.

The event will be continuing this weekend and is free to the public. To learn more about this year’s Endeavor Games, click here.

Copyright 2023 WPTA. All rights reserved.