By creating a community outreach program, Adaptive Sports USA increased opportunities for individuals with a disability and are a gateway to regional, national and international multi-sport competitions.
Mr. Lipton ensured the viability of the organization during the early years by making the Bulova Company a primary financial supporter of NWAA.
General Omar N. Bradley was one of the leaders of the early efforts to develop wheelchair sports programs, principally for servicemen injured during the war.
Europe's first organized wheelchair sports program was introduced in 1948 by well-known neurosurgeon, Dr. Ludwig Guttman, founder of the Spinal Injury Center in Stoke Mandeville, England.
It was during this time frame that NWAA played a key role in putting competitive sports for athletes with disabilities on the international stage by promoting a series of exhibition events in Wheelchair Track at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
Adaptive Sports USA, has remained essentially an all-volunteer organization, drawing on the energy and commitment of the people who also benefit from its programs.
The dreams of individual athletes have been made possible through the efforts and dedication of pioneers such as Dr. Guttman and Lipton, and the countless other organizers, volunteers, friends, and supporters of adaptive sports throughout the United States and the rest of the world.
By virtue of this relationship, Adaptive Sports USA found itself with a mechanism for providing quality competitive opportunities for athletes seeking to establish themselves on an international stage.
The Junior Nationals is a week-long competition including Archery, Powerlifting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Track & Field, and other sporting events.
Additionally, the Championships serve as an opportunity for individuals to advance along the athlete pipeline that may one day lead them to compete at the international level and the Paralympic Games.
Below is a history of the host cities: Adaptive Sports USA has three Regions (Western, Central and Eastern) made up of the respective member chapters of Adaptive Sports USA, dividing the United States for the purpose of coordinating, assisting and implementing local & regional meets; sanctioned, qualifying meets; and workshops & clinics for athletes and coaches in order to develop skills and knowledge.
[11][12] Move United offer numerous nationwide programs for individuals with physical disabilities, including: Operating annually since 1987, the event is one of the nation's largest winter sports events for people with a disability with more than 700 participants[13] ranging in ability from first-time skiers to members of the US Paralympic Alpine Skiing National Team coming together.
[24] Specifically, the new research determine that being engaged in sports activities has helped make a difference in terms of increased health, happiness and employment.
The award in the Competition category recognizes an individual (participant or coach), who has been active in disabled ski racing for a minimum of three years.
The Jim Winthers Volunteer Award recognizes life-time contributions and significant achievements in furthering the mission of Move United.
[27] As a volunteer, Harney was on the International Paralympic Medical Classification team in the sports of alpine skiing and cycling and attended every winter and summer games since 1998.