Move United Recognized with USOPC Rings of Gold Award
Move United, the national leader in community-based sports and recreation for individuals with disabilities, was recognized by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee as the recipient of the 2024 Rings of Gold Award.
The award was presented at the 2024 Olympic & Paralympic Assembly in Colorado Springs last week. The Rings of Gold award, inaugurated in 1996, annually recognizes an individual and a program dedicated to helping children develop their Olympic or Paralympic dreams and reach their highest athletic and personal potential.
The award particularly recognizes Move United’s Sanctioned Competitions, the largest adaptive sports network of competitive opportunities in the USA. In 2024, for example, 2,311 adaptive athletes of all ages and performance levels, including youth, Paralympians, and disabled veterans competed in 34 multi-sport competitions held in 24 states.
“Move United is excited to be recognized for driving growth, impact and the reach that these sanctioned competitions have for people with disabilities in this country,” Move United Executive Director Glenn Merry said. “This past year, our network expanded, adding eight new competitions. The growth resulted in an overall participation increase by 50%. For many aspiring athletes, this network is the entry point to future world class performances as Team USA’s next generation.”
Move United Sanctioned Competitions are successfully driving strategic growth of adaptive sports competitions across the United States, providing competitive opportunities and helping to identify the next generation of Paralympic athletes for Team USA. “Sixty-two percent of the Team USA athletes that competed at the 2024 Paralympic games began their Paralympic journey with Move United’s community-based programs or competitions and a similar percentage was true for the athletes that represented the country at the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo,” Merry said.
Move United Sanctioned Competitions represent some of the best adaptive multi-sport competitive events in the United States and are sanctioned by both Move United and applicable National Governing Bodies (NGBs) for the sports being contested. This sanction represents a commitment to follow national and, when applicable, international rules and to provide a safe, positive environment for athletes and coaches, officials and volunteers, and spectators.
All of these events serve as a qualifier for The Hartford Nationals conducted by Move United, which is the largest and longest-standing national sport championship event for athletes with a physical disability, visual impairment, or intellectual disability. 2024 marked the 67th year for this competition and included the following summer para sports: archery, paratriathlon, para powerlifting, shooting, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair tennis. Many of the sanctioned competitions offer additional para sports as clinics or other activities at their event, such as fencing and boccia.
Move United, an Affiliate of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, continues to expand opportunities for athletes with a disability and has a goal of being accessible to 90% of the U.S. population when the Paralympics returns to LA in 2028. It does this through its programs and a membership network of 240 organizations across 45 states and the District of Columbia, that empower 125,000 youth and adults with disabilities each year to live to their fullest potential.
For more information on Move United Sanctioned Competitions, click here.
Share
