An accident ended his military career;
now Kevin Stone '91 is striving for Paralympic Gold

By Brad Whitehouse

Eighteen years ago, when Kevin Stone ’91 was in the U.S. Army, his life changed forever. On the way back from a training exercise, the vehicle he was riding in plummeted off a cliff, causing severe damage to his brain and spinal cord.

His service to his country was suddenly over. With typical grit, he headed in new directions, but the abrupt end to his military career left a hole that was hard to fill.

Then last fall, an unexpected opportunity came his way. To him, it meant another chance to serve his country—this time by vying for the right to represent the U.S. in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.

The injuries
In 1985, Kevin was stationed in California with the 7th Infantry. Riding back from an extracurricular training exercise, the driver of his vehicle hit an obstruction and drove off a cliff. The driver ejected, but Kevin—who was asleep at the time—followed the vehicle down 1,114 feet. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, and fractured and dislocated several vertebrae in his neck. Although his spinal cord came through intact, it was bruised and splintered.

In 1987, he enrolled at Adrian College through a veteran’s vocational rehabilitation program. He earned an art degree in 1991, and returned to study music education in 1992. He excelled as a student, and became highly involved with Alpha Tau Omega fraternity. With the help of medication and devices such as braces or canes, he even started walking again, and enjoyed playing volleyball.

“I bounced back really well, and I made what many people would see as a full recovery—on the outside,” he said.

Ignoring his limitations, however, was causing degeneration on the inside. By 1995, he’d reached a dead end.

“I went to great lengths to try to hide the fact that I had a problem. And I did it well. But it led to my demise,” Kevin said. “There were a series of surgeries, a lot of medication, some pretty potent narcotics, and I was left with not being able to return to school. What do I do?”

By chance, he heard about a sports rehabilitation program. He tried archery, competing in the classification for people with paraplegia, who have limited movement of the lower limbs and compete in a wheelchair, and who use a recurve bow. He surprised himself by taking third place.

One win led to another, and he took home championships in archery, billiards, and riflery at various state and national competitions. Then last year, he got an offer that changed everything: Come to a training session at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, Calif.

He made the trip in the fall of 2002, and was told he had the skill potential to join the U.S. Disabled Archery Team. And so he decided to strive for the ultimate distinction for a disabled athlete: to become a Paralympian.

Going for gold
At the website for the 2004 Olympic and Paralympic Games, you can watch a short video on the Paralympics. It tells how big the sporting event is (only the Olympics is bigger), and it shows streamers, ceremonies, Olympic stadiums full of fans. What is perhaps most striking, though, are the faces of the winners as they cross the finish line, pull off the fencing mask, finish the last length in the pool. In a sudden and unforgettable moment, they become one of their nation’s champions.

Chasing that moment means a new level of commitment for Kevin. The philosophy behind the Paralympics is to follow the Olympics as closely as possible.

“The Olympics have a great saying: ‘The Olympics aren’t every four years, they are every day,’” Kevin said. “Actually, this becomes a job.”

He trains six days a week, spending 36-44 hours on shooting, strength-training, and cross-training. But perhaps his greatest sacrifice involves the U.S. anti-doping codes.

“I had to come off all of my medication, except for one that keeps me spasm-free.”

Due to his training schedule, his work as a freelance commercial artist is on hold, and he’s trying to raise the approximately $10,000 needed to get him through the season. If he can get started and things go well, the financial uncertainty will lessen. He plans to compete at several qualifying events throughout the season. The United States Olympic Committee will take his highest score, and if he ranks in the top 10 to 20 percent in his classification, he will gain elite athlete status and will be eligible for grants to offset most of his expenses.

Getting to the actual Paralympics then comes in two stages. First, he and his team must earn slots for the U.S. at the International Paralympic Committee World Championships in Spain. Then, based on the relative rankings between team members and the results of a team qualifier, he must be chosen to fill one of those slots in Athens the following year.

It’s a lofty goal with a lot of risk. However, to him, the sacrifices are worth it.

“I was taken out of service by an accident. That’s not how I would have preferred that to happen,” he said. “The road I’m on right now has given me the chance to serve my country once again.”

Above photo: Glenn Harris