Wheelchair can’t stop Mike from being ‘champion’

KILAUEA — Michael Nizo is not letting being in a wheelchair stop him.

Saturday, Nizo returned home from Hilo to head the second Tournament of Champions at the Kauai Mini Golf in Kilauea.

“He’s in Hilo, right now,” said Bino Castelo, the plant engineer at the Kauai Mini Golf. “But he started this tournament a year ago, and will be home to host the second tournament. It’s amazing to see how much he does, despite being in a wheelchair.”

Kimberly Nizo said Michael is on the Big Island learning to operate a laser for cutting wood. “He’s done some pieces for his cousin and sister,” Kimberly said as she showed off a pair of earrings he created for her. “But the idea of doing this Tournament of Champions is for the disabled people who want more out of what life has for them.”

Michael said this year’s tournament enrollment dropped from the original 60 people who came out for the tournament last year, but he is hopeful this was just a hiccup.

“I wanted to do activities despite being in a wheelchair,” Michael said. “And I wanted to make what was available to me, available to other people with disabilities.”

Michael said this year’s tournament at the mini golf facility got support from the Kauai Fire Department, which had a contingent of fire prevention personnel and its prevention training trailer on hand, capitalizing not only on tournament patrons but also shoppers at the weekly Kilauea farmers market.

Michael said Kauai Ocean Recreation Experience (KORE) and the Kauai Island Utility Cooperative made it possible for event organizers to purchase tournament t-shirts for both participants and volunteers.

“There’s a lot of things happening on the North Shore, today,” Michael said. “But we’re already looking ahead to next year’s tournament.”