Gwena and Gerry Herman
2012
Gwena and Gerry Herman began their remarkable journey together in adaptive sports at the Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton, Massachusetts. As members of an interdisciplinary team organized by Dick Crisafulli, they attended the second National Junior Wheelchair Games in Fishersville, Virginia—an experience that would ignite their lifelong commitment to empowering athletes with physical disabilities.
The establishment of the Massachusetts Spina Bifida Sports Program allowed the Hermans to expand their efforts, developing a multi-sport approach that included archery, table tennis, swimming, and track and field. As members of the National Junior Committee, they served as sport representatives for archery, helping to adapt distances and age groupings to better meet the developmental needs of junior athletes. They also served as table tennis representatives, organizing the table tennis championships at the Junior Nationals for several years.
In 1989, Gwena and Gerry relocated to Baltimore, Maryland, where, under the leadership of Dr. Charles E. Silberstein, they founded the Bennett Blazers Physically Challenged Sports Program. Guided by their inspiring motto, “Teach children they can before they are told they cannot,” they created one of the nation’s most inclusive and impactful adaptive sports programs—serving athletes as young as two years old.
Gwena took on additional leadership as Chairperson of the United States Cerebral Palsy Youth Sports Committee, establishing the National Junior Cerebral Palsy Games. Together, the Hermans also helped integrate ambulatory athletes into the Junior Nationals, expanding competition in swimming, archery, and field events, and advocating for the inclusion of these athletes in track events. Working alongside Connie Hansen, they introduced Petra/RaceRunning to the United States, importing the first race runners for athletes with cerebral palsy and other mobility challenges.
Under their direction, the Bennett Blazers became perennial champions at the National Junior Disability Championships, producing generations of athletes who went on to compete at the University of Illinois and on the Paralympic stage—including Carol Hetherington, Joshua George, Tatyana McFadden, Hannah McFadden, and Daniel Romanchuk.
Today, Gwena and Gerry continue to lead a thriving multi-sport program in Baltimore, providing training and competition opportunities for more than 50 athletes weekly. Through their dedication, mentorship, and vision, the Bennett Blazers have earned multiple national championships across a variety of sports, leaving an indelible legacy on the landscape of youth adaptive athletics.