LIVE QUICKIE BLOG

Adaptive sports play a vital role in the lives of kids who use wheelchairs. I learned this firsthand growing up with spina bifida and being exposed to numerous adaptive sports opportunities. Now I see it in action every day as the Executive Director of ABLE Youth, a youth wheelchair sports and independence nonprofit in Nashville, Tennessee.

Ever wonder how we all functioned without our smartphones and tablets? Remember when phones just made phone calls? Try leaving your devices at home one day and you will be quickly reminded how useful they are. How did we navigate without Google Maps or find restaurants without Yelp and Open Table?

Growing up in St. John's, Newfoundland I never expected that I would have the privilege of playing for Canada on the international stage in two Paralympic sports: wheelchair basketball and sledge hockey. I always thought that at some point in my life I would have to make the very difficult choice of choosing between my two passions if I was going to make the leap to the National/International level and represent my country at the Paralympic Games.

Cerebral palsy, also known as CP, is the loss or impairment of motor function caused by brain damage. Motor function is used to describe activity or movement in relation to the use of muscle and nerves in the body. In other words, CP is the loss or impairment of muscle activity and movement.

Life doesn't always stay on the course you've plotted for yourself. This was a lesson I learned early in my life. Born and raised in the small town of Upton in central Massachusetts, I was steering toward a life as an athlete, earning six varsity letters in baseball and basketball in high school. But an injury my senior year meant I had to give up both sports.