About the Founder of OT4V

Hello, I am Michael Paul and I would like to start out by telling you a little bit about myself. I was born in Ohio in a family that believed in serving their country. My father was a Green Beret/ Special Forces for 27 years and served in Vietnam. He received a Purple Heart along with many other medals for his services to his country. My mother is a nurse and is all about helping people. I have several relatives that have served their country. So, I was born with the desire to serve and the motivation to excel in whatever I did. I joined the Army before graduating high school knowing that I may go to war in 1990. I felt it was my duty as a US citizen growing up in a military family that had a strong belief in honor and serving.
I was also born very athletic playing almost every sport and was good at most all of them. I excelled most in wrestling and martial arts and could have gone to college to play sports but I choice a different route. I used my athletic abilities in the Army to secure a job working in an elite unit attached to the military intelligence as a recon soldier. I served during the Gulf War and specialized in Airborne, Air Assault, Special Ops warfare. I went to Ranger school, SERE school, Close Quarter Combat School and various other training schools that was required and suggested to be in the elite unit I was in.
I got out of the military once there was peace. I decided to go to college using my GI Bill while working as a personal trainer, kickboxing instructor and later a massage therapist. I was fearless and still had the acquired desire for adrenaline from my military experiences. I had continued to stay involved with friends who were still active duty in a recreational level of skydiving. However, on September 29, 2002, my life changed dramatically. a skydiving accident, which resulted in a lower level (L1) spinal cord injury. I am able to walk, but I use a wheelchair to minimize the pain and to help me get around a lot faster. I am more fortunate then a lot of people I know who have higher-level injuries.
I could have decided to hang up my athletic passions, but I decided to take up competitive wheelchair tennis within the same year of my accident. Life was not over for me. I was going to use the abilities I still have and live life to the fullest. After 3 years of improving my game, I was ranked 3rd in the US for Men’s A division. Competing has allowed me to travel all over the country playing tennis and, just in the last few years, monoskiing. I was living in CO as a member of the Aspen Competition Ski Team while working on my Masters degree in Human Services and Counseling, which I graduated in May 2009. I completed my Bachelors in Mass Communication with a minor in Tennis Coaching & Art from MTSU in 2006.
I was apart of developing the collegiate wheelchair tennis program at Middle Tennessee State University. We won the Nationals 4 years in row and the program is still growing across the country giving hope to kids going to college where they can be a part of a program that offers adaptive sports and promotes wellbeing for people with disabilities.
I became a sponsored ski racer with Challenge Aspen sponsored by Challenged Athletes Foundation Operation Rebound. I was able to train, compete along side other disabled veterans for the entire season. I also became an adaptive ski instructor teaching others how to ski.
I have done the LA Marathon with the support of Rancho last year and came in 3rd place in my division. I am happy to have the opportunity to play any sport with the Rancho group. Participating in Adaptive Sports is not only good for one’s health; it builds confidence, self-esteem and independence, as well.
I was working with the PVA at the VA in Long Beach as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor Intern, helping others who seek to reach their fullest potential. I am an alumni of the Mission Continues and was supported with this opportunity as a fellowship with the PVA. This opportunity lead me to a position as a National Service Officer, help veterans with their benefits and advocate for their healthcare at the VA.

I also got CrossFit certified to fitness train others with disabilities to promote exercising and fitness. This will help build confidence and motivation for them to continue with a mission in life after injuries. For thousands of individuals with disabilities, the road back to a full and meaningful life has been charted and paved by sports and recreation. Athletic competition is as beneficial for individuals with disabilities as it is for the able bodied. It gives us hope for a better day and something to push ourselves towards. If I didn’t have sports during the recovery process, I don’t think I could have gotten up as easily and transitioned into a new life with less mobility.

After many years being involved with various nonprofit organizations as a spokesperson I felt it was time for me to put together my own team to develop a nonprofit to bridge gaps in providing services to veterans in any area that is not being provided already. In July of 2011, I drove cross country from California, after doing a promotion video for “Sweat for a Vet” at Johnny G’s home in Santa Barbara, CA. to Colorado on my way to Ohio to see my family I stopped to talk to my fellow Delta Company veteran to pitch an idea to bring him along in this journey to help veterans. Mike agreed to help out and since then we have seen things unfold as if it was meant to be. By connecting his network of people and our fellow service member we have served with to bring us all together for one last mission to help veterans that may need encouragement or a mentor to get them to where they need to be. On Target 4 Veterans are basically veterans and soldiers helping their fellow veterans and soldiers through mentoring, fellowship in a safe environment through recreational therapy and activities that promote health and wellness.