Mike Ward
2012
Mike Ward was one of the premier field athletes in the United States during the late 1980s and early 1990s, as well as a standout weightlifter. But it took time, perseverance, and determination for him to achieve his dream of competing at the international level.
Always an athlete growing up, a teenage Mike took a job unloading cargo trucks in Oklahoma City. One day, while on the loading dock, a shipment broke free and fell on him. Though he never lost consciousness, he immediately realized what had happened—he had lost feeling in his legs and was paralyzed.
Refusing to let his injury define him, Mike continued his education at the University of Oklahoma, where, in 1974, he met Rich Harrell, another young paraplegic who had been injured a few years earlier. Both lifelong athletes, the two bonded over their shared desire to keep competing. Together, they formed Oklahoma’s first wheelchair basketball team, marking the beginning of Mike’s lifelong dedication to adaptive sports.
Recognizing the lack of opportunities for people with disabilities, Mike helped found Oklahomans for Independent Living (OIL) in 1985, an organization that provided advocacy, support, and empowerment for individuals seeking independence. Around the same time, he began training seriously in other sports—powerlifting, javelin, discus, and shot put—quickly rising to prominence on the national and international stages.
Mike competed across the country and around the world, excelling in every discipline. Among his many achievements was a silver medal in the shot put at the 1990 World Championships. He ultimately represented the United States on two Paralympic teams: the 1988 Games in Seoul, South Korea, and the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain.
Beyond his athletic success, Mike was a leader and advocate. He served as the Director of OIL for many years following its founding in 1986. With a Master of Science degree in Audiology from the University of Oklahoma and extensive training in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Mike became a powerful advocate for accessibility, housing, employment, and independent living rights for people with disabilities.
Mike also served on the Board of Directors for Wheelchair Sports USA and the Southwest Wheelchair Athletic Association, shaping the future of adaptive athletics nationwide. In 2003, he was inducted into the inaugural class of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame for Athletes with Disabilities.
Throughout his life, Mike traveled the world, encountering every imaginable type of barrier—both physical and attitudinal. Yet, in every instance, he faced them with courage and resolve.
Mike Ward never encountered a barrier he couldn’t overcome.