Amid a sea of participants wearing rainbow, spotted cow and Paul Bunyan shirts, the 44th annual National Veterans Wheelchair Games kicked off Thursday in downtown Minneapolis. Athletes from 41 states rolled in the opening ceremonies to cheers from friends and families waving American flags. Cowbells, drums and tambourines echoed in the Convention Center, where the games will be held through Tuesday. More than 530 athletes — including 45 Minnesotans — will compete in two dozen games, ranging from archery and air guns to softball and soccer. Minnesota team members wore red-and-black checkered shirts and hats on opening night, but will pay homage to the Vikings when they compete in purple. Karl Olson, treasurer of the Minnesota chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA), made leather patches identifying every member of his team as a “badass.” The games are sponsored by the PVA and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Olson was medically discharged from the U.S. Navy when he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. He will be participating in the Wheelchair Games for his fifth time. They’ve given him lifelong connections, he said. “You get together and you can sit next to someone you’ve never met, and boom, within two minutes, you’re best friends,” he said. In 2007, Sandi Braunstein of Grand Rapids, Minn., was injured during a military training exercise in Virginia. What she thought was a broken ankle turned out to be three broken vertebrae in her back and a broken leg. After several surgeries failed to restore blood flow to her left foot and lower leg, Braunstein made the tough decision to amputate in 2019. Braunstein has competed in both summer and winter games since 2023. She said that sport has improved her relationship with her wheelchair and the veterans community.