Ronald Halsey
Competition | 1985
Ron, known as “The Admiral”, didn’t let any obstacle stop him from excelling in wheelchair sports. Dave Williamson, who once coached Ron, introduced him for his induction into the National Wheelchair Athletic Association Hall of Fame. He reminded everyone that this man was more than a strong athlete from the waist up: he also demonstrated strength of character. Not even the removal of one kidney could stop him. Ron was inducted into the Hall of Fame in June of 1986 at the University of Edinboro (Pa.)
In 1959 at the age of 18 a week before he was to enter the U.S. Marines, an auto accident left him paralyzed from mid-chest down. His friend Jim Mathis got him to participate with the Cleveland Comets wheelchair basketball team as part of his physical therapy. From that experience came his involvement in field events: shot put, discus, javelin and later pentathlon. He set many records in local and state sports competitions.
Ron was chosen nine times to be a member of the U.S. National Wheelchair team. That led to him to be a member of the U.S. Paralympic Team competing in Germany and England and Canada where he set records in some of the field events. As a member of the U.S. Pan-American Team he competed in Peru and Mexico setting records in the shot put and javelin. As part of local recognition of his sports accomplishments, he was inducted into the Ohio Wheelchair Sports Hall of Fame and honored by the Dapper Dan Club of Akron, Ohio.
Ron met his wife Marcia while she was a registered nurse at Highland View Rehabilitation Hospital where he was a patient following his accident. Marcia traveled with the U.S. teams as part of the medical staff. They were married 20 years.
He once said ”When I’m up on the podium and they are playing the “Star Spangled Banner” I get a hollow feeling inside. It’s a feeling I can’t describe”. His dream after retirement was to get handicapped kids involved in wheelchair sports, but that did not happen because of his sudden death in February of 1986.
