A group of UW Whitewater students is bound for Beijing -- the host city for the 2008 Olympic Games this summer. These Warhawks will face the best of the best in the U.S. Paralympic Games.

It will mean little rest this Summer, but as one player describes it, taking part in the Paralympics is a dream come true.

"We're just going to have a blast over there. We're just gonna go over there and dominate," Matt Lesperance says.
UW Whitewater already dominates on domestic hardwood...
"We've established ourselves pretty well. We're a team to reckon with," Matt Scott says.
...winning title after title in wheelchair basketball...
But a bigger court has recruited several teammates.
"We're going over there for one reason and one reason only -- to get gold," Lesperance says.
Several Warhawks will shoot for the top prize at the Summer Paralympics in Beijing!
"I'm gonna work hard and go get it. All Summer, we'll all be busting our butts to give ourselves the best chance for winning that gold medal," Scott says.
You might recognize senior Matt Scott of Nike fame. He starred in a TV spot which has earned him fans worldwide.
"I kind of lose my name once in a while. I go from Matt to Nike guy to hey, no excuses... things like that," he says.
As a sophomore, Matt Lesperance has less experience in the spotlight but is getting used to it.
"I'm from a small town. They're actually having a parade for me coming up in June so they're actually having a Matt Lesperance day or something like that," Lesperance says.
Both will depend on teammate Jaime Mazzi for making his share of baskets for Team USA.
"I'm looking forward to seeing gold around my neck. That's pretty much it," Mazzi says, "I shoot, Matt does pretty much everything ...he yells, brings a lot of energy... We all have our own attributes. I just shoot from far, as far as I can."
Two other Whitewater players will compete in the Paralympics ... one for Germany, another for Israel.
"We actually play them first in Beijing so we'll go give it our all to see who comes out in the wash," Scott says.
Players say the team to beat is Canada... But the experience, hard to beat... win or lose.
"The Paralympics is the best of the best and to know that I'm known as one of the best athletes to play a sport I love, it means everything to me," Scott says.

Whitewater's coach and several players just returned from England where they took home the gold at the World Paralympic Cup. They compete in China in September.