Barrett rolls to racing victories in wheelchair olympics
by Paul D. Matson, sports editor

    Some people feel the need to keep their bodies busy while some people need to keep their minds entertained, as not to dwell on their problems.

    Tamara Dwayne Barrett, NW Campus student, says he is just “trying to stay busy.”

    After a 1989 hold-up in Dallas, a gunshot wound left Barrett paraplegic, but he seems to be keeping both his mind and body busy.

    Better known as Wayne, Barrett stays active: majoring in music, participating in several wheelchair-racing events every year and dedicating time to HIV/AIDS out-reach programs.

    Having served in the U.S. Navy from 1981-1985, Barrett competed in the National Veterans Games in San Antonio in July 2000, winning gold medals in the 800, 3,000 and 1,500-meter races, silver in the 200 meter and bronze in the 400 meter.

    As a member of the Paralyzed Veterans Associa-tion, Barrett raced in Puerto Rico, winning two gold medals and one silver.

    In July of this year, Barrett competed in New York at the 21st Annual Wheelchair Olympics, winning three bronze medals in the 400, 800 and 1,500 meter events.

    Barrett took first place in the Cowtown Marathon’s wheelchair division in February 2000.

    “I tried to race last year, in the 26-mile marathon, but they didn’t have the facilities for a wheelchair division,” he said.

    “So I called the main man, and this year there was no problem,” he said.

    Barrett, a member of the Fort Worth Runners Club, has a specially designed three-wheeled chair, he uses just for races.

    “It sits lower and is much lighter than a regular wheelchair,” he said.

    When not spending his time racing, Barrett is enrolled in several classes on the NW Campus and volunteers time to HIV-AIDS outreach programs.

    “I try to workout at least three times a week,” he said. “I’m also enrolled in music theory, sight reading (music), music composition and musical ear training.”

    Barrett believes his choice of a major was divinely inspired.

    “I reached a point where I felt my life was stagnant, and I asked God for strength and direction.

    “My God gave the inspiration to go into music,” he said.

Barrett also feels a need to help others.

    “A bunch of this work (for HIV/AIDS programs) is volunteer stuff, you know, like a concerned citizen,” he said. “I check to see if there are any problems with medications or living conditions (for the AIDS patients), that kind of stuff.”

    Barrett spends time helping the Positive Voice Coalition, a component of the North West Texas HIV Planning Assembly and the Fort Worth Area Comprehensive/Consortium.

    The Consortium, founded in 1991, has distributed over $20 million to service providers in the area and determines the allocation and priority of federal and state funding for Tarrant and eight other surrounding counties.

    Volunteers may contact the group at 817-763-8629.