HR0516 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0516 LRB103 35374 LAW 65439 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives wish to congratulate Charles Randall "Chuck" Melton II on the occasion of his serving as a member of Team USA Wheelchair Rugby for a decade and being team captain for six years; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton moved to Hoyleton in May 2001 and worked at Nascote Industries, providing industrial cleaning services within the automotive plant; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton suffered a life-altering accident in 2002, severing his spinal cord and losing the use of his legs and partial use of his hands, while a father of two young children with a third on the way; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton attended Kaskaskia College and became involved in many organizations that promote physical activity for individuals with physical limitations, including Paraquad, which champions equity and independence for people with disabilities through services, partnerships, education, and advocacy, and the Disabled Athlete Sports Association, which empowers individuals with physical disabilities to find their inner athlete through adaptive sports and fitness; his early experiences with these groups provided him with structure and strength after his accident, teaching him many life lessons; and

WHEREAS, After being introduced to the sport of wheelchair rugby, Chuck Melton spent many years and many long hours training with his family by his side; he played for the St. Louis wheelchair rugby team, the Spartans, for five years before deciding to advance to the national level; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton served on the developmental team in 2011 before being invited to try out for the US National Wheelchair Rugby team, defying all odds when he was named to the team after his first attempt in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton made the 16-player roster on Team USA in 2012 but was not selected for the 12-person roster for the London 2012 Paralympic Games; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton continued to diligently train and hone his skills while dedicating his attention to leading others who had suffered life-altering injuries; through great determination and a positive attitude, he strove to represent his nation as a member of Team USA, and he proceeded to be selected by his peers to serve as captain from 2017 through 2023; and

WHEREAS, While representing Team USA for a decade, Chuck Melton has accumulated many medals and honors over the course his athletic career; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton played in both the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games and Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, earning a silver medal in both tournaments; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton also earned a gold medal in the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima, Peru, and he has played in three World Championship tournaments, Denmark 2014, Australia 2018, and Denmark 2022, where he earned two bronze medals and a silver medal for the US National team, respectively; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton works and trains at CrossFit Centralia, working with both adaptive and able-bodied athletes to push themselves to transform their bodies and their lives through exercise and the camaraderie of others; he has obtained a Level 1 CrossFit credential and works to inspire and coach others; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton is also a member of the Screen Actors Guild and can be seen on the NCIS New Orleans episode "In Plain Sight" that frequently airs on CBS; and

WHEREAS, Chuck Melton is the husband of Kelly and the father of Blake, Bailey, and Addison; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Charles Randall "Chuck" Melton II on representing our great nation as a member of Team USA Wheelchair Rugby for a decade and serving as captain of the team for six years, and we thank him for all the hard work he has done for those living with disabilities; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Chuck Melton as a symbol of our respect and esteem.