Hunting the Paralympics

The next time you feel like the world is closing in on you try spending 10 minutes with Bob Hunt.

First, however, you'll have to find time in his schedule as a full-time student, working part time, coaching and training to be on the world stage.

Oh, Hunt does this all from a wheelchair that has been part of his life for most of the last 33 years and has his eyes on 2024 as a U.S. Paralympian team hopeful.

"I mean, when you talk about someone who has found the capability of being able to manage everything," said Teresa Skinner who is now the executive director at ParaSport Spokane.

For starters, "He's going to school full time, he's working part time at Budget (Rental Car) out of the airport," Skinner said. Add to that coaching varsity wheelchair basketball at ParaSport, playing collegiate wheelchair basketball and training to make a Paralympic team in wheelchair racing.

With the goal in mind of teaching special education, despite all the distractions that surround him, Hunt also proudly carries a 3.5 grade-point-average at Eastern Washington University.

Hunt has just returned from Santiago, Chile where over the week of Thanksgiving he won a pair of medals - silver and bronze - in the Parapan Games in the 100 and 400-meter wheelchair events.

While the competition was the number one highlight for Hunt, there were a couple of other fond memories.

The weather, for one, was great with temperatures in the 80s. It was, as Hunt reminded, summer with Chile being in the Southern Hemisphere.

Perhaps, more to his desire for a career in education, Hunt cherished an excursion to a local school. There he and teammates crossed any language barriers working with able-bodied physical education classes on basketball skills - and life lessons.

Hunt's now setting his sights on securing a place with the United States' Paralympics team that will compete in Paris, Aug 28 - Sept. 8, 2024.

Like the Parapan Games which followed by two weeks the Pan American Games, Paralympic athletes will utilize the same facilities as Olympic competitors.

While ranked among the top-10 in the hemisphere in his disciplines, Hunt knows he will have to get faster in order to make it to Paris. His training regimen will continue non-stop as he approaches trials next July.

This was Hunt's second time vying for medals at a Parapan event, the first coming in 2011 in Guadalajara, Mexico.

Santiago is five hours ahead of the Western U.S. so when it's noon here when the clock hits 5 p.m. there. Considering other challenges in Hunt's life, one would naturally think he would discount the effects of let lag had in the 10-hour connecting flight back to the U.S. at Atlanta.

"I've been to like nine different countries now so it's nothing new that I'm not used to," Hunt said in an interview conducted at ParaSport in Spokane Valley. He was back in the seat in just a couple of days.

Hunt was born with the extremely rare condition called caudal regression syndrome.

"The best way to explain it is my lower half my spine is gone," Hunt said. "I'm basically paralyzed from hip down."

But that doesn't stop him, he said with conviction as evidenced by Hunt's results from Santiago.

He entered the 400 with the idea in mind to "Have fun because the 400 is not my race." But to his surprise, Hunt had a solid start and nearly copped the silver medal.

"One of my old teammates came and got me on the inside lane," Hunt said, but in the process, he found a new race to run in the future.

His favorite race is the 100 where Hunt finished runner-up.

Hunt entered the world of wheelchair competition early in life when his occupational therapist in the Riverside School District, Skinner, encouraged him to play sports.

"He's been training and competing since he was nine years old, and I've known him that long," Skinner said. "He said he wanted to go fast and learn to play sports."

Hunt was the inspiration to starting a junior team, Skinner said. And that has helped launch him onto a world stage.

Hunt recalled when he first met Skinner and she asked, "Hey, do you wanna' do wheelchair basketball?" His reply was an enthusiastic "Yes!"

Skinner would often see Hunt zooming around the halls in his chair which led to the next obvious question of him being part of the track team.

Hunt is also an accomplished player for Eastern Washington University's wheelchair team.

To that, Skinner attributes the efforts of David Evjen, head coach of the EWU team. Those skills contribute to Hunt's strength and quickness on the court. "It also translates to quickness on the track," Skinner added.

If Hunt is excited about his time on the track, basketball appears to be a close second?

Hunt explained his role as being like a blocker in football. "My job is doing all the dirty work," he said with passion in his voice.

"I get my big guys into the key, into the paint so they can make an easy basket," Hunt said. "And if they miss it, I give them some attitude because they missed the shot and I did all that work for nothing."

nearly copped the silver medal.

"One of my old teammates came and got me on the inside lane," Hunt said, but in the process, he found a new race to run in the future.

His favorite race is the 100 where Hunt finished runner-up.

Hunt entered the world of wheelchair competition early in life when his occupational therapist in the Riverside School District, Skinner, encouraged him to play sports.

"He's been training and competing since he was nine years old, and I've known him that long," Skinner said. "He said he wanted to go fast and learn to play sports."

Hunt was the inspiration to starting a junior team, Skinner said. And that has helped launch him onto a world stage.

Hunt recalled when he first met Skinner and she asked, "Hey, do you wanna' do wheelchair basketball?" His reply was an enthusiastic "Yes!"

Skinner would often see Hunt zooming around the halls in his chair which led to the next obvious question of him being part of the track team.

Hunt is also an accomplished player for Eastern Washington University's wheelchair team.

To that, Skinner attributes the efforts of David Evjen, head coach of the EWU team. Those skills contribute to Hunt's strength and quickness on the court. "It also translates to quickness on the track," Skinner added.

If Hunt is excited about his time on the track, basketball appears to be a close second?

Hunt explained his role as being like a blocker in football. "My job is doing all the dirty work," he said with passion in his voice.

"I get my big guys into the key, into the paint so they can make an easy basket," Hunt said. "And if they miss it, I give them some attitude because they missed the shot and I did all that work for nothing."