Now, this may not seem very monumental for most of us who have an abundance of opportunities to take part in the training teams, running clubs, etc. that our city is so well known for ( mostly thanks to the great mission of our friends at Sports Backers) but, for athletes with disabilities…the idea of registering for this race or any other is a bit daunting. How will I train, what equipment do I need, where do I park, who will I run with??? By creating this opportunity to train with a team, on a track, with specialized equipment and coaches–Sportable athletes will be making history this year!! For the first time ever, Ukrops Monument Ave 10k will have an official wheelchair division and we will have a team of five wheelchair racers competing!!

There are also personal stories behind this one major success story–and this experience is sure to transform the lives of all our athletes participating. One of our athletes is doing the unthinkable -less that two years outside of the loss of her leg. She has the passion and inspires us all,there to support each member of the team after her training run is done. There is something to be said for crossing that finish line, whether on a prosthetic leg, racing chair…”Running is a metaphor for life–you get out of it what you put into it!” and our athletes are surely putting in their heart and sould each Saturday morning–rain, snow, or shine.

And who better to join the Sportable team to help us in “creating opportunities and transforming lives” than Karin Korb, two time Paralympian, whose personal motto is “Live to train. Train to live”. She comes to us with more than just 20 years of experience in the field of adaptive sports ( Masters in Sports Management as well as PR/Marketing) AND a true passion for the work we do. She brings with her great energy and a positive outlook on life– and we couldn’t be more happy to have her on board as we bring our new brand to life!!

Now, I have to admit that I took my laptop with me. Not because I thought the games would not be worthwhile to watch but just because I figured there would be some down time–between games, etc… we all know that basketball is such an all or nothing sport so, with a very long to do list of grants and such– I planned to get a little a head of the game ( no pun intended).

Needless to say– I did not work on my laptop at all!! Imagine my surprise– a sentiment that I think the Charlotte Bobcats shared with me. A little different than our first run at Bridge II Sports Hog Wild Tournament- the Spokes basically tied for 1st place in the tournament–against one of the best teams in our Region. I don’t know who was more surprised our players or theirs when we won our 1st game against them– we lost to them in the final by ONE POINT!!

That transformation that took place on that court this weekend was not without hard work–these boys have been working hard to improve their game and many have set individual goals- to play wheelchair basketball in college, do a half marathon in a racing chair–you name it…they are shooting for it!

This is what Sportable is about–Creating opportunities. Transforming lives. Sports participation is a proven catalyst for leading a healthy, active lifestyle– something that EVERYONE should have access to.

Straight from their Coach-Matthew Deans:

My day job is a counselor for people with disabilities and often I wonder how much of an effect I have on people’s lives when I only get to see them maybe once a week or once a month. As a counselor my passion is to help people, as a coach for Sportable I don’t have to question my impact on both how much I help these kids focus their physical skills and abilities and improve their everyday lives, but also helping them understand the opportunities that Sportable presents to them is something they never knew was possible before Sportable. They always wondered how do you play lacrosse, how do you play basketball, how do you run track? They never had an opportunity until Sportable came along, and that is why I coach and that is why I’m part of Sportable.

GO SPOKES– WE ARE SO PROUD OF EACH ONE OF YOU!!

As I think about the early days, I recall meetings with some of our Sportable “founders”- Steve Fetrow and Shawn Floyd at a local Barnes and Noble. It certainly has taken a TEAM to bring to life a much needed program/service to the community of individuals living with a physical disability. I emphasize LIVING fully because to me, without OPPORTUNITIES to experience the physical, social, and emotional benefits of leading an active lifestyle—how can anyone fully live. So many of us take for granted signing our kids up for soccer or lacrosse teams, taking a spin class at the gym, or even riding bikes round our neighborhoods with our kids. For this population, Sportable exists to provide ALL those opportunities. We are a community of ATHLETES!!

Now what happens out on the tennis courts or in the pool is really what keeps the Sportable Staff, Board, and Volunteers going— a TRANSFORMATION in our athletes who overcome challenges, set personal goals and achieve them! For me to see the joy of one of our athletes Rock-climbing 30 ft. in the air…free of her wheelchair, free of stereotypes, and a BIG smile on her face—that is what gets me out of bed every morning, excited to take on what each day may bring.

So, as we launch our NEW LOOK we hope you all share in our excitement. This re-branding process allowed us to re-discover who we are and where we want to go in the future. Aiming high—just like we ask of our athletes—with a goal of increasing our number of athletes by 100% in 2012!! We have heard what our “founding athletes” have said and launched new programs like Wheelchair Lacrosse and Para Triathlon Training—oh, and a Training for the 10k set to start at the end of this month!!

Our website now reflects the dynamic nature of what we do and the inspiring stories of our athletes. We have also made it easy to not only stay informed about program happenings and special events but enhanced our online registration system—allowing you to pay by credit card and instituting a Member ID card with discount code for our athletes. We hope that you all will join us this weekend (Fri 4-7p and Sat 11-4p) as we kick off the new brand at our Registration Expo. We have arranged for sports demos for the first timers, disability resources for athletes and parents, as well as FREE GEAR bags for all our athletes that come and take advantage of registering and completing annual paperwork.

A special thanks to our friends at Mediapond, who helped bring this to life—Bob & Karen Kelley, Andy, Derek and Thomas …we could not have done it without you!!!