The Sportable Podcast
The Sportable Podcast is an interview-based show hosted by adaptive athlete Josh Sloan.
The Sportable Podcast spotlights adaptive athletes and community members in order to raise awareness of our mission to make sports accessible and inclusive.
Listen to The Sportable Podcast Episodes
Michael is a testament to the impact of adaptive sports. This episode dives deep into why adaptive athletes do what we do, how we do it, the incredible support we have to make it happen, and why we love it so much. Although not a Sportable guy, Michael is a speaker, writer, competitive cyclist and skier, and as you’ll hear on this episode, gets after it no matter what it is.
Produced, hosted, edited, formed from the ether by Josh Sloan.
Special Episode Alert. We’re breaking form and interviewing a leader in the field of rehabilitation instead of our typical format in which we interview adaptive athletes. Matt Wilks is the Chief Rehabilitation Officer at The Sheltering Arms Institute A collaboration with VCU Health. The Institute is a brand new state of the science rehabilitation center that serves many of the same populations as Sportable. Matt takes Josh through his career as a therapist, the creation of SAI from an idea to a fully open center for rehabilitation, and the importance of community engagement with Sportable and other organizations in the rehab process.
Produced, edited, and hosted by Josh Sloan, who did his best, please don’t be mad.
We’re back! Take a deep dive into Sportable athlete Chris Marston’s ongoing journey to represent Team USA at the Paralympics (whenever those will be). As well, learn about his current project to complete 15 triathlons in 15 days (we recorded on Monday, which was day 3). Chris is hoping to raise $1500 for Sportable during his 15 Tris in 15 Days, help him reach that goal here: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/sportable15/account/998555
Sound salvaged as best as possible by the ultimate audio madman, Knox Colby. Find out.
Josh hears from Sportable athlete, author, and multiple sclerosis advocate Danica King! She’s relatively new to Sportable, but in a short amount of time has found her way to a variety of our sports. Danica is a bright, bubbly person who brings a joyful atmosphere wherever she goes, and is one reason she is so good at getting her many friends in the MS community involved with Sportable and other groups in the area. Really enjoyed recording this one, hope y’all enjoy listening!
This week, another storied athlete, coach, and advocate. Megan has been involved in all aspects of adaptive sports since her teens. Hear her perspective on the value and importance of wheelchair basketball and many other sports. She’s the head coach of the Sportable Spokes and a member of the Sportable Rim Riders. She also is a huge voice for women in wheelchair basketball. Check it out!
We’re back yet again with another long time Sportable athlete, Howard Humphreys. Howard and host Josh are Sportable rowing teammates, a program Howard has been a part of since its very first practice. They talk about rowing on and off the water, as well as Howard’s initial start with Sportable. They also discuss Howard’s multiple half marathons, and the many ways Howard has watched Sportable grow over the years.
Brandon Rush has been playing wheelchair basketball for the Charlottesville Cardinals since the 1990s. He is also the assistant coach for Sportable’s youth basketball team, The Spokes. Josh and Brandon start at the very beginning of his time with adaptive sports all the way up to the present day. Brandon talks about the mentors he had coming up in the wheelchair basketball community plus how he’s able to serve as a mentor our youth athletes. We love the perspective of adaptive athletes who transition to volunteering and coaching. Finally, learn all about the great work Brandon does at the Independence Resource Center.
Our first youth (teenage) interviewee! Taylor Brooks is a junior at Lee Davis High School in Hanover county, VA who participates in our cycling program and competes with our youth wheelchair basketball team, the Sportable Spokes. Josh and her discuss high school during COVID-19, her experience traveling with The Spokes, the enjoyment she gets out of cycling, and, as always, the value she gets out of being a Sportable athlete.
Grab some tissues, this one’s a doozy. Josh hears from Sportable athlete Meredyth Sauter on the many sports she plays with us and listens to her talk about the impact Sportable has had on her life. She puts into words what it means to be a part of the Sportable family and it is powerful stuff.
Josh catches up with his wheelchair rugby teammate, Grace Swanner. They discuss her studies at VCU, hobbies outside Sportable, quarantining, but mostly share stories from rugby tournament weekends and the impact joining Sportable has had on Grace. Go Possums.
Josh catches up with cycling athlete and marathoner Richard Cook. They get into Richard’s storied history as competitive para cyclist, his transition from running to pushing marathons in a racing wheelchair, how he discovered Sportable, and why he loves it.
On Sportable’s first ever podcast episode, host Josh Sloan checks in with power soccer athlete, disability rights advocate, and entrepreneur Matthew Shapiro. They discuss Matthew’s 10+ years as a Sportable athlete, how he’s holding up in the time of COVID-19, his work with 6 Wheels Consulting , and the need for disability advocacy.