FEW ATHLETES CAN MATCH the accomplishments of David Kiley.
Kiley, who attended St. John the Baptist Catholic School in Costa Mesa and Mater Dei High School, competed in six Paralympic Games in wheelchair basketball, track and field, and alpine skiing, winning a total of 13 Paralympic medals.
DAVID KILEY, SHOWN WITH HIS ST. JOHN THE BAPTIST CATHOLIC SCHOOL BASKETBALL TEAM, WILL BE INDUCTED INTO THE PAROCHIAL ATHLETIC LEAGUE (PAL) HALL OF FAME ON MAY 12. PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAVID KILEY
Kiley, now 73, won a gold medal in five separate events at the Paralympic Games in Toronto in 1976 and is the only athlete to play Paralympic basketball in four separate decades.
In 2022, Kiley achieved one of sport’s greatest honors: induction into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame, alongside swimmer Michael Phelps, figure skater Michelle Kwan, tennis great Billie Jean King and soccer player Mia Hamm.
Kiley is being inducted into another Hall of Fame, and while not as widely known as the Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame, the honor is especially meaningful to him and a testament to his early years.
Kiley is among several current and former athletes being inducted into the Parochial Athletic League (PAL) at the league’s annual Hall of Fame and Golf Tournament on May 12 at Tustin Ranch Golf Club.
DAVID KILEY IS PICTURED WITH BOXING GREAT GEORGE FOREMAN AND LAKERS LEGEND IRVING MAGIC JOHNSON AFTER REVEINING THE MAGIC JOHNSON/JERRY BUSS HUMANITARIAN AWARD.
A faith-based sports league within the Diocese of Orange, the PAL established a Hall of Fame in 2022 to honor athletes, coaches and others who have served the league and its mission, said Russ Smith, the diocesan athletic director. To qualify for the PAL Hall of Fame, inductees must have attended a Catholic or Christian school within a PAL league. Candidates must be PAL athletes who went on to enter professional sports as a player or administrator, became Olympic athletes or officials, or coached in the PAL program for at least 10 years.
Kiley, who played multiple sports at St. John the Baptist and basketball at Mater Dei, said the PAL Hall of Fame induction carries a unique and personal significance because it honors the Catholic school environment where his athletic journey began.
“It does mean a lot to me, because it’s so unique,” Kiley said. “We were all going to St. John’s. All the athletes hung out and played everything under the sun.”
As a youngster, Kiley dreamed of playing basketball at UCLA and then for the Los Angeles Lakers.
But at age 19, Kiley’s life course changed in an instant when he sustained a catastrophic spinal cord injury in a tubing accident in Big Bear that left him paralyzed.
“I think I established myself as one of the better point guards in Orange County,” he said. “All I cared about was playing basketball. I was devastated.”
Kiley acknowledged slipping into a depression and coping in unhealthy ways. During rehabilitation at Rancho Los Amigos Hospital, Kiley was introduced to wheelchair basketball by a recreation therapist who played the game at the elite level.
His competitive spirit was rekindled, and wheelchair basketball became his new passion.
“I used basketball from that point forward to be my therapeutic escape from my spinal cord injury,” he said. “Once I had a vehicle that was equipped for me to drive, I just ran up and down the coast looking for beach courts and time to shoot the ball.”
Kiley joined a high-caliber wheelchair team in Orange County and progressed rapidly, competing in elite international competitions.
In 1976, Kiley participated in his first Paralympic Games. Aside from Paralympic competition, Kiley competed in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association and is a six-time MVP of the league’s Final Four championships.
Kiley also hosts 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball tournaments.
He met his wife, Sandy, at a wheelchair tournament. The couple has been married since 1978 and has two children and four grandchildren.
Smith said Kiley’s story is remarkable and inspiring, especially because of the adversity he overcame after suffering the serious accident during his youth, which ultimately led to him becoming a wheelchair athlete.
While Kiley’s achievements are exceptional, they are not widely known to the broader public, Smith said, adding that he learned about Kiley from officials at Mater Dei.
“I’m really excited about meeting David Kiley because I think he’s the most famous athlete to come out of Orange County that nobody knows about,” Smith said. “When I saw what we had there, what a great story this is, I said I’m all over this one.”