Sports and Leisure

We want to hear about what sports or activities you love and why. What do you do for leisure? From the most extreme sports to bird watching, there are opportunities available for us all to make our bodies and minds stronger. Do you play wheelchair rugby? Do you ski? Or is it more your style to float in a pool? Having a disability does not have to mean a lifetime of inactivity.

Please Note: we may include our names on these pages, everyone else will be identified as “Contributor” or “Peer” unless express permission has been given. If you have any comments or feedback on anything posted, please contact us.

Subject: SCIBC Article: Exercising Options for Cardio Workout Equipment

Posted: April 4, 2022

A person sitting in their wheelchair is demonstrateing the use of an adaptive rowing machine.

SCIBC Article: Exercising Options for Cardio Workout Equipment

Melanie: I came across this article and thought it would be a good one to share. Arm ergometers have been the most common piece of exercise equipment for people with a spinal cord injury. This article goes on to discuss the rowing machines and ski devices that are now available, providing more options for people to bring variety to their workouts. If you have anything to share on this page, or any other, please let us know.

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Subject: Why Accessibility in Sports is Important

Posted: September 2, 2021

This photo was taken underwater with Spencer swimming towards the camera. He is wearing swim goggles and a watch.

Why Accessibility in Sports is Important

Melanie: My lovely sister Mary-Beth sent me an article on Spencer West and I was intrigued, so I looked him up. I watched a bunch of his videos. This one really stood out to me. Not everyone is an athlete, but sports can play an important part in our lives. When we are excluded, it can have a lasting impact on our sense of self and how we interact with others.

Spencer wrote "Today I wanted to chat about my complicated relationship with sports. Why I feel that way, what sports I love and they this should matter to you too and why accessibility in sports is so important." See video link at the bottom. You can also check out his other videos HERE.

STOP! If you know educators... pass this on! In addition to this great video, Spencer talks about the Move United Playbook (check them out HERE).

"Move United, the national leader in community adaptive sports, is bringing increased awareness to the power of sport for people with disabilities by launching a new Inclusive Playbook, designed to educate youth on disability awareness and adaptive sports. This first of its kind workbook invites American youth to join a conversation about the value equal opportunity to participate in sports and recreation in their schools and communities brings to athletes of all abilities."

This is great toolkit! We can know the importance of inclusion, but sometimes we need some help on how to make that happen. If anyone knows of a Canadian equivalent, please let us know.

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Subject: Yoga

Posted: May 18, 2021

The image shows the banners from the Adapt to Perform and Mindful Moments YouTube pages. ATP shows 3 images of physical activity and MM shows a picture of Mary-Jo.

Yoga

Melanie: I love yoga. The practice has helped me out both physically and mentally and it is usually how I start my day. For me, it’s all about the teacher… the messenger… I need to feel a connection. My favourite yogi is Adriene Mishler (click on her name to go to her YouTube page). When her team reached out to her subscribers this year requesting feedback, I asked about featuring a yoga instructor who teaches from a wheelchair. Adriene features other yogis, so I am hoping she will find the time to make this addition.

My goal is to find a yogi Wallace can connect with so that we can practice together. We will keep you posted.

Luckily… the kind folks at SCIO pointed me in the right direction… I have added two links below. Ben Clark’s channel “Adapt to Perform” and Mary-Jo Fetterly’s channel “Mindful Moments”.

It was also important to me to find free content so that membership fees were not a barrier. If you have a yogi you love, please let us know so we can add them to this page.

Subject: Hand Cycling

Posted: February 19, 2021

An image of Wallace (aka Randy Upper) on his yellow handbike at the 2002 World Cycling Championships with spectators on the sidelines.

Hand Cycling

Wallace: This is me competing at the 2002 World Cycling Championships in Germany. I retired from competitive racing shortly after this race. Beyond the thrill of competition, racing provided me with the chance to travel independently with only my backpack and my bike in a box. I have found this sport to be the best way for me to get a good cardio workout. Due to shoulder issues, I have been away from this activity for a while. After a successful surgery in 2019, I purchased a new bike and I am currently training on my table top hand crank. I am looking forward to getting back on the road this summer.