The weeks between Thanksgiving and the New Year are known by a lot of names. It’s been called the season of light, the holidays, the most wonderful time of the year. But here at Magee, we like to think of this time as the Season of Giving. Throughout the month of December, we’re going to spotlight programs and successes that are only achievable through your charitable support. We’ll show you just how your support helps us support our patients and community.
So far, we’ve shared patients’ experiences with art therapy and horticultural therapy, two of our our non-traditional therapies supported solely by donor support. Today, we’re going to tell you more about another patient and community program funded entirely by your support: wheelchair sports.
Our Wheelchair Sports Program is open to the community, and includes teams in adaptive racing, basketball, rugby and tennis. While there are many former patients on Magee’s wheelchair sports teams, you don’t need to have any affiliation with Magee to join — the teams are open to everyone in the community!
Getting involved with wheelchair sports programs helps people with disabilities heighten independence, and reach for personal health and wellness goals. Participants not only have an opportunity to improve their fitness and overall health, but they can also experience increased self-esteem and confidence as they learn to adapt to their disability through interaction with their peers and role models.
But don’t just take it from us. Here’s what some of the participants had to say.
“The fact that I can continue playing basketball after my accident is a dream come true. And having a team to play on and teach me more maneuvers and exercises and playing in tournaments I never could have imagined. It’s the only passion in my life at the moment as I explore my new realm of possibilities.”
“Wheelchair sports are not about athletics; it’s proof of resilience and determination no matter the odds.”
“To be able to return to the game I love, after my injury, meant the world to me. Thanks to Magee, I could do that!”
“Wheelchair sports helps someone see that a disability is just a small bump in the road called life.”
“I love getting in to my sports wheelchair and flying across the court!”
As you can guess, participating in wheelchair sports is not cheap. Each sport requires its own set of equipment, including sports wheelchairs. But thanks to donors like you, we are able to provide every player with the equipment they need free of charge. Because of your support, anyone who wants to participate can — and that is a beautiful thing.
You can learn more about our participants’ experiences with wheelchair sports in the video below. A donation to Magee will help ensure wheelchair sports and programs like it are available to everyone in our community today and for years to come. Click here to make your gift today.
