Tag: Sports & Recreation
Exercise May Help Fight Depression in Seniors
Kinesiologists at McMaster University have found that physical activity may help fight depression in seniors by stimulating muscle-generated mood boosters. The findings, published in the American Journal of Physiology—Cell Physiology, reveal that the underlying mechanisms that make us feel good when we exercise persist into old age and highlight the importance of staying active. “A...
Amputation Level Affects Child’s Physical, Sports Function
Sports and physical functioning of children with amputations were significantly worse after amputations near the knee when compared with ankle-level amputations, according to a study published in the January issue of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. Researchers considered whether children with amputations have differences in subjective function based on amputationlevel and whether children with more...
Female Double Amputee Plans to Complete NYC Full Marathon
Brazilian athlete and bilateral lower-limb amputee Adriele Silva, 31, looks forward to crossing the finish line at mile 26.2 of the 2018 TCS New York City (NYC) Marathon on Sunday, November 4. “I hope to inspire people when they see me run and challenge them to go after things that seem unachievable,” said Silva, who...
San Diego Triathlon Challenge Weekend Scheduled for October 19-21
As part of the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s (CAF’s) 25th anniversary celebration, the 2018 Aspen Medical Products San Diego Triathlon Challenge (SDTC) weekend will be held from October 19-21 in La Jolla, California. The weekend will culminate with Sunday’s title event, which features a one-mile ocean swim, 44-mile bike ride, and ten-mile run. “This day brings...
New Prosthetic Ankle Adapts to Rough Terrain and Stairs
Sasser tests the prosthetic ankle. Photograph courtesy of Vanderbilt University. The Vanderbilt University lab of Michael Goldfarb, PhD, has completed testing of a smart prosthetic ankle that can respond to varying terrain and stairs. The ankle’s motor, actuator, sensors, and chip work together to either conform to the surface the foot is contacting or remain...
Adaptive Sports Festival Scheduled for June 21-24
The fourth annual Angel City Games will be held June 21-24 at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). The event will offer five adaptive sports competitions, five sports clinics, an awards gala, a family cookout, a celebrity wheelchair basketball game, a fun zone for kids, and more. Image by Chris Brooks Photography. Launched in 2015 and sanctioned by Adaptive Sports USA, Angel City...
OPAF Names Champion Triathlete Director of First Swim
Costa, right, with a First Swim participant. Photograph courtesy of OPAF. The Orthotic & Prosthetic Activities Foundation (OPAF) named Mabio Costa to the role of First Swim Director. Costa, who has a congenital transtibial amputation, is a prosthetic technician with Prosthetic Orthotic Associates in Orlando, Florida. He has been a First Swim instructor since 2011,...
Challenged Athletes Foundation Announces Distribution of 2,806 Grants
The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) announced unprecedented financial support through its annual grant programs, which provide financial assistance for adaptive sports equipment, specialized running prostheses, coaching, mentoring, travel, and competition expenses for individuals with physical challenges of all ages and levels who wish to live active lifestyles and compete in sports. Logan Passe. Image courtesy...
Registration Open for Turnstone Endeavor Games
Registration is now through April 13 for the Turnstone Endeavor Games, an opportunity for athletes with physical disabilities to participate in various sporting events on a competitive level. The Games are scheduled for April 20-22 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Photograph courtesy of the Turnstone Endeavor Games. The Turnstone Endeavor Games is the first competitive weekend...
Study Suggests Cancer Survivors Are More Easily Fatigued
Adults who have undergone successful cancer treatment years or decades ago become fatigued more quickly than their peers who don’t have cancer histories, according to a new study in the journal Cancer from scientists at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHSPH). The scientists examined data from a long-running study of normal aging, which included periodic...
Oksana Masters Named Allianz Athlete of the Month for January
US Nordic skier Oksana Masters has been voted the Allianz Athlete of the Month for January. Masters dominated the women’s sitting category at the World Para Nordic Skiing World Cup in Oberried, Germany. She swept all the cross-country races and two of the three biathlon events.Masters received 48 percent of the public votes. To watch...
Hanger Charitable Foundation Awards Last Round of 2017 Grants
The Hanger Charitable Foundation, Austin, Texas, has completed its third and final round of 2017 grant awards, giving $140,900 to five non-profit organizations, bringing the Foundation’s total awards granted for the year to more than $250,000. Grants were given to the following: No Limits Limb Loss Foundation, Camp No Limits Kids Scholarships: $100,000 to provide scholarships for...
Amputee Coalition Announces New Board Members, Leadership Shifts
The Amputee Coalition announced that John Register and William Passig Perno, MBA, have been named to the board of directors for a three-year term. Board leadership shifts include John “Mo” Kenney, CPO/L, FAAOP, stepping into the role of board chair, and Jeff Cain, MD, serving as vice chair. Register Perno is vice president/COO of Mount...
Curbell Plastics Sponsors First Clinics
Curbell Plastics Inc., Orchard Park, New York, sponsored Orthotic and Prosthetic Activities Foundation (OPAF) First Dance and First Stride events in Dallas on November 18. The events were held at the Bachman Therapeutic Recreation Center in partnership with the University of Texas (UT) Southwestern Medical School. First Dance uses ballroom dancing as a means to...
I?mPOSSIBLE Program Goes Global
To mark the United Nations Day of Persons with Disabilities, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and its development arm the Agitos Foundation are launching I’mPOSSIBLE, a global education program that aims to promote social inclusion by raising awareness of the Paralympic Movement. Implementation of the I’mPossible program in Japan. Image courtesy of the Nippon Foundation...
Thousands Watch and Participate in 24th Annual CAF Triathlon
Athletes, supporters, fundraisers, volunteers, and more than 50 sponsors participated in the 24th annual Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) Aspen Medical Products San Diego Triathlon Challenge (SDTC) at La Jolla Cove, October 20-22. More than $1 million was raised over the weekend, making it one of the most successful events in the organization’s history. The funds...
Hanger Charitable Foundation Awards More 2017 Grants
The Hanger Charitable Foundation, Austin, Texas, has completed its second round of 2017 grant awards, giving $56,500 to six nonprofit organizations, as follows: Austin Blades Sled Hockey, Sled Hockey for Individuals with Physical Challenges: $5,000 to support adaptive sled hockey camps and tournaments Challenged Athletes Foundation, Access for Athletes: $25,000 to provide adaptive sports equipment, coaching, mentoring and...
Soldier Credits Adaptive Sports for Recovery
Army Spc. Stephanie Morris added a gold medal in discus, a silver in shot put, and a bronze in handcycle in the women’s track and field competition in her disability category at the 2017 Invictus Games. Morris powers a hand cycle at the 2017 Invictus Games. DOD photo by EJ Hersom. The appearance of U.S....
Thousands of Athletes Compete at the World Rowing Championships in Florida
Roughly 42,000 spectators and athletes from around the world attended the 2017 World Rowing Championships in Sarasota, Florida, in September. It was the first time in 23 years that the event, which included Olympic and Paralympic events, was held in the United States. More than 1,700 athletes representing 69 countries went for the gold in...
VA Awards Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has awarded $8 million in grants for adaptive sports programs that will benefit veterans and members of the armed forces with disabilities. The VA will distribute the grants to 96 national, regional, and community programs serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. About 10,000 veterans and...
OPAF Announces New Advisory Board Members
The Orthotic & Prosthetic Activities Foundation (OPAF) recently named new members to its advisory board: Adrianne Haslet, professional ballroom dancer and First Dance instructor, Boston; Tommy Lyon, national paraclimber and First Climb instructor, Pottstown, Pennsylvania; Anne Weiland, CTRS, team leader of recreation therapy at Moss Rehab, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; Zita Upchurch, RN, consulting and billing...
Hundreds Attend Professional Baseball Game and Mobility Clinics
Nearly 100 people attended an Össur-hosted night at the Louisville Bats vs. Indianapolis Indians minor league baseball game during the recent Amputee Coalition National Conference (ACNC). Jake Adams, who has an upper-limb amputation, threw out the opening pitch of the game, and Logan Seitz had the honor of calling “Play Ball!” Össur hosted the...
2020 Paralympics Information Announced
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) has announced that the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games will feature 4,400 athletes who will compete in 537 medal events. The final medal event program and athlete quotas were approved by the IPC Governing Board on September 4. Key highlights include:• At least 1,756 slots for female athletes, the most ever,...
Wounded Soldier Finds Peace, Prepares for Invictus Games
Jody Mitic takes in a large, almost exaggerated, breath of fresh air as he sits in an open expanse near the edge of Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan. Jody Mitic lights the torch at the 2017 Invictus Spirit Flame ceremony at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan. Image by U.S. Air Force Staff Sgt. Regina Edwards....
Team Össur?s Running Blades Featured in Kennedy Center Exhibit
The Cheetah prosthetic running blade, developed by Össur, Reykjavik, Iceland, is featured in an exhibition at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington DC through August 30. The exhibit, “Artful Innovation: Inclusive Design and Technology,” showcases Cheetahs worn by Team Össur Paralympic athletes April Holmes and Jerome Singleton, and notes that...
ÖSSUR Announces 2017 #MyWinningMoment Contest Winner
Photograph courtesy of R.J. Hartbeck. Össur, Reykjavik, Iceland, announced that Alexander Schwartz, a bilateral amputee who was born with fibular hemimelia, is the winner of its 2017 #MyWinningMoment online contest. Össur received more than 400 entries for this year’s contest. Schwartz, of St. Louis, says the moment he began to embrace his adversity was the...
Amputee Athletes? Records to Reset After Rule Change
World and regional records held by athletes competing in the T43/F43 (bilateral below the knee lower limb amputations) and T42/F42 (unilateral above the knee lower limb amputations) classes will be reset on January 1, 2018, after World Para Athletics announced it will introduce new rules for people with lower-limb amputations. The international federation of Paralympic...
Adaptive Sports Event Hosts 220 Athletes With Physical Disabilities
The Angel City Games, an adaptive sports festival in the Greater Los Angeles metropolitan area, held its third annual event at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) June 22-25. This year’s event drew 220 athletes from 15 states. From Paralympians to amateur athletes—including military veterans and active-duty military personnel—participants ranged from 3 to 72 years...
Four More Össur Running & Mobility Clinics Scheduled for 2017
Each year, hundreds of people with lower-limb loss participate in the Össur Running & Mobility Clinics presented across the United States by Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF). These no-cost clinics are intended to help amputees achieve their mobility goals—whether they are learning to walk again or fine-tuning their speed skills in sprinting. Image courtesy of...
Blake Leeper Breaks Oscar Pistorius? T43 World Record
On June 22, Paralympic sprinter Patrick “Blake” Leeper became the first person with bilateral lower-limb amputations to compete against able-bodied athletes in the USA Track & Field (USATF) championships, held in Sacramento, California, where he broke a world record. Leeper ran the 400m sprint, logging a time of 45.519 seconds—which was faster than half of...
ROMP Announces July Climbing Challenge
Image courtesy of ROMP. The Range of Motion Project (ROMP) announced a climbing challenge during July for their organization and for active individuals, families, and groups across the globe. The Denver-based nonprofit is encouraging groups worldwide to organize climbs—ranging from gentle uphill walks to summiting Rocky Mountain peaks—to show their support for the organization’s...
Adaptive Sports Event Scheduled for June 22-25
The annual Angel City Games will be held June 22-25 on the campus of the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA). The adaptive sports event will feature Image by Tiffany J Photography. a four-day festival of clinics, competition, activities, and celebration of Paralympic sports. The clinic and competition format allows athletes to receive instruction and...
Registration Now Open for UCO Endeavor Games
Registration is open for the 18th Annual University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) Endeavor Games, an opportunity for athletes with physical disabilities to participate in various sporting events on a competitive level. The event will be held June 8-11 on UCO’s campus. The UCO Endeavor Games is the nation’s largest multisport, multidisability event. The 2017 games...
Challenged Athletes Foundation Awards 2,448 Grants
The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) distributed $3.7 million in grants to 2,448 recipients in 42 countries and across 97 sports as part of its 2017 grant program. The grants provide financial assistance for sports equipment, sports prostheses, coaching, mentoring, and competition expenses for athletes of all ages and abilities who wish to live active lifestyles...
Penn State Student?s Prosthetic Foot Design Advances in 3D Challenge
Eric M. Miller, a sophomore mechanical engineering major at Pennsylvania State (Penn State) Berks qualified for the American Society of Mechanical Engineers’ (ASME’s) Innovative Additive Manufacturing 3D (IAM3D) Challenge for a lightweight, low-cost, longer-lasting transtibial prosthesis he is designing and creating. Miller’s project was entered in the Global E-Fest North America East, held in April....
Mouse Whiskers May Inform Prosthetic Touch
Touch is normally active, resulting from self-motion. Merkel afferents (top right, green and magenta) “fired” action potentials (white) during both movement and touch as mice ran on a treadmill and moved their whiskers to explore. Merkel afferents were identified by genetically altering them to fire when exposed to blue light (bottom left, bolt), not just...
Prosthetic Model, Not Stiffness or Height, Affects Metabolic Cost of Running
Current stiffness and height recommendations of running-specific prostheses aim to mitigate kinematic asymmetries for athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations. However, a study, published March 30 in the Journal of Applied Physiology, found that prosthetic foot recommendations based on stride kinematics do not necessarily minimize the metabolic cost of running for athletes with unilateral transtibial amputations....
To Exercise More, Get a Gym Membership
Image by Iowa State University. If your New Year’s resolution was to exercise more in 2017, chances are you’ve already given up or you’re on the verge of doing so. To reach your goal, you may want to consider joining a gym, based on the results of a study from a team of Iowa State...
CAF Receives $50K Donation From Sycuan Casino
The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) received a $50,000 donation from Sycuan Casino, San Diego, on February 19. Since 2012, the casino has donated a percentage of its GameDay Sports Bar & Grill’s annual sales to CAF. “We’re very proud of our partnership with the Challenged Athletes Foundation,” said Cody Martinez, chairman of the Sycuan Tribal...
VA Offers up to $8M in Grants for Adaptive Sports Programs
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing up to $8 million in grants to fund adaptive sports programs that offer activities for veterans and members of the armed forces who have disabilities. Applications for the fiscal year 2018 Adaptive Sports Grant must be submitted by April 21. Previous VA grants have been provided...
Final Clinical Trials for Artificial Pancreas Set to Begin
Participants are now being enrolled in clinical trials for the final tests on an artificial pancreas developed by the University of Virginia (UVA) to automatically monitor and regulate blood sugar levels in people with type 1 diabetes. Participants in the trials will live at home and follow their regular routines to examine how well the...