HENNAGIR Ray

United States of America

Wheelchair Rugby

Date of Birth: 25 Jul 1986

Age: 35

Gender: Male

Sport Class: 3.5

Place of birth: FAYETTEVILLE, NC

Birth Country:

United States of America

Events and Medals
Records
Schedule
Bio
General Interest
Milestones

Events and Medals

Discipline	Event	Rank	Medal
Wheelchair Rugby	Mixed USA United States	2

Schedule

Start Time	Location	Event	Status
	Yoyogi National Stadium	Mixed - Pool Phase Group B #01 USA United States 63 NZL New Zealand 35	Finished
	Yoyogi National Stadium	Mixed - Pool Phase Group B #05 CAN Canada 54 USA United States 58	Finished
	Yoyogi National Stadium	Mixed - Pool Phase Group B #11 USA United States 50 GBR Great Britain 48	Finished
	Yoyogi National Stadium	Mixed - Semifinal #14 USA United States 49 AUS Australia 42	Finished
	Yoyogi National Stadium	Mixed - Gold Medal #18 USA United States 49 GBR Great Britain 54	Finished

Biographical Information

Highlights

Occupation:

University of Texas at Austin, United States

James Gumbert [national], USA

Other sports:

He won two gold medals in wheelchair basketball and two gold medals in sitting volleyball at the Warrior Games, an event for wounded, ill or injured US military personnel organised by the United States Department of Defense. (livingwithamplitude.com, 01 Jan 2021; teamusa.org, 03 Jul 2019)

He was recruited to play wheelchair rugby by US men's national coach James Gumbert having played wheelchair basketball for around 12 years following his rehabilitation. "I was playing wheelchair basketball for 11 or 12 years and coach Gumbert saw me and I was playing for the University of Texas and their basketball team. Coach Gumbert pulled me aside and introduced ourselves and explained who he was. He told me that he would like me to come out and play some rugby, because he thought that I was good enough for the [US] team. I came to a couple practices and I started to like it." (livingwithamplitude.com, 01 Jan 2021)

To compete at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. (Team USA YouTube channel, 03 Jul 2019)

He has been awarded the Purple Heart, a US military decoration for those wounded or killed while serving. (teamusa.org, 03 Jul 2019)

General Interest

Classification
3.5 (livingwithamplitude.com, 01 Jan 2021; turnstone.org, 27 May 2021)

Origin of Impairment
Acquired (hfotusa.org, 01 Jan 2021)

Impairment Details
In June 2007 he was injured by an improvised explosive device while serving in the United States Marine Corps in Zaidon, Iraq. He lost both his legs and four fingers from his left hand. (hfotusa.org, 01 Jan 2021; nytimes.com, 22 Aug 2008)

General
MILITARY CAREER
He joined the United States Marine Corps in 2004 after graduating from high school and served as a combat engineer until he was injured by an improvised explosive device in Iraq in June 2007. "I was a combat engineer, which is kind of like a jack of all trades, master of none. My main job in the Marine Corps was seeking out weapons caches and also looking for IEDs [improvised explosive devices]." (teamusa.org, 03 Jul 2019; media.wheelchairsportsfederation.org, 28 Aug 2019; livingwithamplitude.com, 01 Jan 2021)

WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL
His primary sport was wheelchair basketball for around 12 years before he took up wheelchair rugby. He was introduced to wheelchair basketball by a recreational therapist six months into his rehabilitation programme at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, DC, United States of America. "Wheelchair basketball kind of brought back a sense of normalcy to the recovery instead of just going to a physical therapist or an occupational therapist and doing their exercises all day. It kind of brought me back to being like a kid again, which I guess is more about having fun." (teamusa.org, 03 Jul 2019)

EDUCATION
He has studied video production and audio engineering. (hfotusa.org, 01 Jan 2021)

Legend

:: Silver Medal
:: Gold Medal Event
:: Silver Medal Event
:: Bronze Medal Event

Timing and scoring provided by OMEGA. Results powered by Atos