Barry Ewing
2009
Barry started building wheelchairs after his brother-in-law was hurt in a car accident. His brother, a paraplegic, wanted to play sports despite his challenges, and Barry jumped at the opportunity to make that happen. From a humble beginning as a one-man, part-time operation in 1979, Eagle Sportschairs LLC grew into an international enterprise—building racing wheelchairs for Paralympians and beginners alike.
Eagle’s roots were always grounded in Barry’s love of coaching and officiating wheelchair sports. Whether it was heading to South America to design chairs for the disabled population there, supplying wheelchair equipment for the USAID State Department program, or building wheelchairs for Wounded Warriors with the Department of Veterans Affairs, Barry was at the vanguard of design and innovation in adaptive equipment.
Even so, he always had a special place in his heart for junior programs. Whether it was sponsoring Junior Nationals by donating a chair or rolling up his sleeves to pitch in with officiating duties, Barry was always there for the junior athletes. He attended most Junior National competitions from the very beginning—not so much as a vendor, but as someone willing to change a tire, adjust a compensator, or lend a hand, regardless of what chair the youngster was using.
Barry also served as the equipment manager on many international trips, including the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, the 2008 Games in Beijing, and the 2013 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) World Games in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico. He was the Head Track Coach for Team USA at the ParaPan Games in Mexico City in 1998.
Barry was also actively involved in the governance and management of the wheelchair sports movement. He served for twenty years on the Board of Directors of the Dixie Games and as the Chairman of Adaptive Track & Field USA from 1996 to 2004—the governing body overseeing the rules, officiating, records, and standards for adaptive athletics. Barry also coached kids in the track program at BlazeSports from 2000 to 2006.
Eagle Sportschairs designed and built more than 400 chairs a year from scratch in the workshop behind Barry’s house. Every one of them was built with the love and care that Barry felt for the athletes.