Getting Everyone Moving

Tommie Storms drives the business operations of the organization. If not for her enterprising nature, American Association of Adaptive Sports (AAASP) prominence in Georgia and national recognition might have come at a much slower pace. She is also a respected speaker in the field of youth disability sports, traveling extensively throughout the United States to raise awareness.  Having recruited Storms as a volunteer in Georgia’s first adapted sports programs, Bev Vaughn grew to know of Storms’ executive aptitude. In 1994, Vaughn introduced the idea to Storms of forming AAASP as the organizational vehicle by which the mission of providing opportunity through sports for America’s physically disabled youth would evolve.  Storms’ role as co–founder would be to shore up the business component of Vaughn’s Adapted Sports model by directing operations, developing community partnerships and acquiring funding for the statewide programs. Balancing her position as an academic director at an Atlanta college, with her conviction to push forth the AAASP vision, Storms’ penned the business plan for AAASP’s staged growth. This plan would entail progressing from one school system throughout Georgia, and then become the national body to oversee a network of statewide youth adapted sports programs. This is the foundation for what is now known as Project ASPIRE.

Ahkeel is a Paralympian and the Director  of the San Diego State Collegiate Adaptive Sport Program.  He was born with a mild form of cerebral palsy which affects the left side of his body. ...He entered Paralympic sport in 2011 after his high school coach connected with a U.S. Paralympics coach. ...He was a bass player during his time in high school where he was also named former defensive player of the year.

Cathy is a professor  at James Madison University with a focus on Paralympic Sport Days in schools.

Craig is a founder of Power Hockey in the US.  He has used a power chair his entire life.   

In 2001, Hollermann and her family were involved in a car accident that took the lives of two of her brothers and caused her to be partially paralyzed from the waist down. As part of her rehabilitation, she was introduced to swimming at the Courage Center in Minneapolis. From there, she tried sled hockey, track and field, archery, cross-country skiing and wheelchair basketball. She discovered her talent and passion for wheelchair basketball. In 2011, she became one of the youngest players on the U.S. women’s wheelchair basketball team at age 15. Since then, she has excelled in her career, playing collegiate basketball at the University of Texas at Arlington and leading Team USA to Paralympic gold in 2016....Has three brothers: Shane, Ethan, and Seth Hollermann...Hobbies include fishing, hunting, basketball, sled hockey, photography, listening to music.

Aslakson discovered basketball at the age of 13 at the Courage Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota after seeing the basketball team practice while she was at an archery lesson. The Minnesota native was involved in a car crash at the age of five that caused her to be paralyzed from the waist down. She played basketball at Jordan High School before attending the University of Texas at Arlington where she played for the Lady Movin’ Mavs. She ultimately transferred to New York University to study dramatic writing....Hobbies include writing, film and traveling.

Christine is a young woman who has not let anything in life stop her.  She has participated in a variety of sports with the support of her parents.  You will thoroughly enjoy this interview with a young woman who doesn't let anything stop her.  

Ron is the Head Coach of the University of Missouri Men's Wheelchair Basketball team as well as the Head Coach of the USA Men's Team heading to Tokyo in August.

My friends at ENGAGE are doing wonderful work in Nepal developing more volunteers while offering people with disabilities an avenue to participate in society.

Deborah, a professor at Georgia State University is doing some great work in the world of teaching adaptive sport practitioners and students to be inclusive.