Kevin Saunders (born December 8, 1955, in Smith Center, Kansas) is an American Paralympian, author, public speaker and athlete Saunders was the first person from the state of Kansas to make the Paralympic Team USA and also the first Kansan to medal at the 1988 Paralympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. He was the first person with a disability appointed to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition, and remains the only person to serve two consecutive terms under different administrations, first under President George H. W. Bush, and later reappointed by President Bill Clinton. Early life and education The youngest of three boys, Saunders was born to Donald and Freda Saunders, who owned a farm in north central Kansas. He enjoyed sports from an early age, and by middle school and high school, he was involved with football, basketball, track and baseball. Saunders attended college on athletic scholarships for football, track and field, and soccer. He transferred to Kansas State University, majoring in agricultural economics. While at KSU, he joined the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and continued to play sports until graduating from the university in 1978. At graduation in 1974, Saunders met U.S. Senator Bob Dole, a fellow Kansan, who spoke at the commencement exercises for Downs High School. Twenty six years later, Dole would play a pivotal role in introducing Saunders to President George H. W. Bush, and recommending him for the President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition. Saunders attended college on athletic scholarships for football, track and field, and soccer. He transferred to Kansas State University, majoring in agricultural economics. While at KSU, he joined the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity and continued to play sports until graduating from the university in 1978. Kansas State University lists Saunders as a member of its Acclaimed Alumni in sports. Explosion and recovery After graduating from college, Saunders began training to become a federal inspector for the USDA. An accident in April 1981, at a grain elevator in Corpus Christi, Texas, wounded him severely, and left him in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the chest down. After graduating from college, Saunders became a federal inspector for the USDA. As an inspector, Saunders was responsible for checking export grain elevators at major ports. His work assignments included locations throughout the Gulf Coast region, and all along the eastern seaboard, from Florida to Nova Scotia. Corpus Christi Public Grain Elevator explosion