SALEM, Va. – Deon Johnson of a toddler was shot three years ago leaving him paralyzed from the chest down.
“It broke my ribs and hit my lungs and came out my back,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who came to Roanoke College's wheelchair basketball event, “No Dunking Allowed,” said getting to shoot hoops with others in a wheelchair was unlike anything he has experienced since becoming paralyzed.
“There's no discrimination. You just go out there and do your thing. I love it,” Johnson said.
Founder Jacob Tyree of the Roanoke Stars, a local wheelchair basketball team, explains how many of the participants can't afford these specialized basketball wheelchairs.
“There's not a lot of opportunity for people to get involved in wheelchair basketball, because the low-end basketball wheelchair costs about $2,000,” Tyree said.
Dozens of players from all different backgrounds, with or without disabilities, joined in on the fun.
Tyree said this opportunity gives participants a chance to have fun while not letting disabilities get in the way of their lives.
Organizers hope to continue raising disabilities awareness through events like this one.