Arkansas Paralympic Athletes Aim for the Gold in Athens

The Olympics have only just begun for about 4,000 athletes on their way to Athens, Greece. The 2004 Paralympic Games start next week, and at least three Arkansans will be representing the U.S. One of them is Grover Evans. Evans has been a quadriplegic for the last 27 years. "I had been injured in a single-car accident, May 1 of `77," he explained. "I`m not supposed to have all of this movement in my arms, not supposed to be doing the stuff that I`m doing." He started swimming as therapy. "Then I started to reach one little gol, then I started setting other little goals," he said. And now, his church family is preparing to send him to Athens, to swim for the gold. He`s already won the prized medal in 1992, in Barcelona, Spain. He ranks 3rd and 4th in backstroke and freestyle swimming. But all of that still doesn`t prepare him for a 2nd trip. "Yeah, I`m nervous, I`ve got butterflieds going," he said. The oldest US Paralympic athlete, at 52 years old, Evans jokes about being older than the coaches. But, he still lends inspiration to the family and friends who`ve helped him get this far. "Anybody over 50 in this room, there is no limitation, you can do whatever you want to do, and you can believe," he told church friends during a reception to send him off. After months of training and visualizing the gold, Evans says he only hopes to keep his focus, and do his best. "I don`t know what to expect." Along with Evans, Scott Jones of Little Rock will be competing in Judo at the Paralympic Games and Jeff Glasbrenner will compete in Men`s Basketball. Opening ceremonies are Sept. 17.