Joe Lyttle
2004
Joe was born in Mullens, West Virginia and graduated from West Virginia University in 1963 with a B.A. in Recreation Administration. He served his country as an Army Captain, Company Commander and Staff Officer in Vietnam, where he sustained combat injuries that made him a paraplegic in April of 1968. During his service, Joe was awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, the Army Commendation Medal, two Purple Hearts, Air Medal, Bronze Star and Silver Star.
Joe was employed by the Woodrow Wilson Rehabilitation Center in Fishersville, VA from 1968 to 1980 as Recreation Supervisor, Rehabilitation Counselor, Assistant Recreation Director and Recreation Director. In 1978, Joe brought the National Wheelchair Games to Fishersville and served as the Games Director for the first time.
In 1980, he moved to Warm Springs, Georgia where he was employed at the Roosevelt Warm Springs Institute of Rehabilitation as Director of Recreation and Support Services, Administrator, Facility and Support Services, and the Director of Recreation and Therapeutic Services until he retired in 2002.
During his tenure in the 90’s, Warm Springs was the national hub for wheelchair athletic competition in the nation, in part because of the very fast track and in part because of Joe’s expertise. In the 1997 Wheelchair Athletics USA national track competition, Co-Meet Directors Barry Ewing and Wendy Gumbert organized a competitive and entertaining national meet that set dozens of national records. One major reason for this event was to establish an approved location where U.S. athletes could rely on to qualify for the challenging international competition from year to year.
Joe also regularly hosted the Dixie Regional Wheelchair Games and served as Vice-Chairman of the organization for years. Joe was a member of the Georgia Wheelchair Sports Association, serving on the Board of Directors and also as the past President. He was a regional representative to Wheelchair Sports USA and a certified Track & Field official.
Joe also served with the Virginia Wheelchair Athletic Association as the Head Official, Coach, and Regional Representative. Joe spent 24 years volunteering and serving as the National Veterans Wheelchair Games Head Official, traveling all over the United States to serve the needs of veterans everywhere.