Since 1984, the Adaptive Sports Foundation has been providing sports and recreation opportunities to thousands of children and adults with both cognitive and physical disabilities. Considered one of the top adaptive sports programs in the country, the ASF has been on the cutting edge of adaptive sports programming and has provided what participants have often described as “life changing experiences.”
ASF is a non-profit organization that provides profound and life changing experiences for children and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities and chronic illnesses through outdoor physical activity, education, support, and community.
Through participation in Adaptive Sports Foundation programs many individuals experience, in some cases for the first time in their lives, that they have a new identity which is associated with a sport and not with their disability.
Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis. There are tons of disabled skiers flying down the slopes across the country. Experienced skiers make it look easy as they swoosh and cut their way through powdery (and sometimes not so powdery) snow. While it takes some practice to refine…
There is a lot to the sport – more than numbers on the scoreboard, the human side to this is a very powerful experience and I think all the para-athletes can appreciate that they are working to help each other. It brings countries and people together in a marvelous way.Jan Whitaker, President of Paralympic Sport…
Rain, sleet, snow, or hail … it seems that no matter the weather, you can always see a cyclist biking for pleasure, on an errand, or keeping fit. The love of bike riding is rapidly growing across nearly every demographic. Cycling has always been a great way to enjoy the outdoors, socialize with fellow bikers,…
Horseback riding is naturally therapeutic. Whether they have physical, cognitive, sensory or emotional disabilities, participants benefit from riding or working with horses. Nicole Budden, Founder and Director of Happy Trails Riding Center All About Equestrian Getting Started Equine-assisted therapy, hippotherapy, therapeutic riding…These are all terms that have specific definitions, but they share a common…
Flyfishing made a real big difference in my recovery and helped flip that switch from thinking about negative things to positive things. There is a lot of peace and a lot of connecting with nature involved with fishing. – David Folkerts, Chief Operations Officer of Project Healing Waters Fishing 101 Photo Credits: Matt Romero,…
“That’s what makes golf so great. It’s a handicap system. If I’m playing against a guy who’s got all his limbs and he’s got a 14 handicap, I’ve got to give him seven strokes. Golf is such an equal game because of the handicap system. That’s what makes it fun for people everywhere to play.”…
Take a Hike! Outdoor Adventure Awaits Everyone is concerned with fitness these days. Many people are also concerned with watching their personal budget, too. So what activity offers fun and fitness as well as being easy on the wallet? The answer is hiking, and almost everybody can do it, whether it’s simply utilizing community park…
When you go skiing, you need to find a mountain and cold weather. You don’t need anything special to start kayaking. Kayaking is just down the road. -Joe Mornini, Executive Director of Team River Runner Getting Started Looking to spend a quiet afternoon enjoying the outdoors and scenery? Perhaps you’re more of a thrill…
Downhill is for those who want the rush. It’s high-speed and exhilarating. – Sandy Olney Mountain Biking 101 Rollin’ Down the Mountain If you like nurturing your independence, appreciate the outdoors and enjoy an adrenalin rush, then downhill mountain biking may be the sport for you. Downhill mountain biking is exactly what the…
All About Snowboarding History Thank you to Lindsay Schultz for contributing information to this article. Pipelines, shredding, jibbers, and boardercross are all part of the colorful trappings of what’s attracting winter sports lovers to the country’s newest and most popular pursuit of things-that-go-bump-in-the-snow. Otherwise known as snowboarding….. Originally embraced by preteen and adolescent males who…
It is difficult to find balance without the ability to look inward, whether it is physical balance or balance in our daily lives. Starting the day healthfully can be as simple as breathing and stretching. An important component of a total fitness program is stretching. Add focused deep breathing to a stretch and you’ve entered…