Genevieve Rohner initially began riding horses for therapy at age four and fell in love with the sport the moment she sat on Sadie, the first horse she rode. The connection between horse and rider provides a sense of calmness and freedom for her and feeds her system in a way nothing else does. Genevieve discovered not only a love of horses, but a love of competing in para dressage. She got classified at age 9 and was named to her first Team USA show team in 2022. We talk with her and her mom Lexi.

In June 2017, Garrett Schoonover was involved in a severe motorcycle accident. After four months and 13 limb-salvage surgeries, he decided to have his left leg amputated above the knee. At the time, he was a Sergeant with the California National Guard’s 225th Expeditionary Intelligence Unit. He would discover para fencing and represented Team USA at the 2024 Paralympic Games. Garrett is also a professional singer and works with Hanger Clinic.

Sarah Adam first discovered wheelchair rugby as a volunteer while in school studying occupational therapy with the program at DASA, a Move United Member organization in Missouri. After being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she would get classified into the sport in 2019 and earned a spot on the national team in 2022. Sarah became the first-ever woman to win a Paralympic medal with Team USA last year in Paris. She is also a professor of occupational therapy at St. Louis University.

U.S. Air Force Colonel Jacqui Marty was in a motor vehicle accident in October 2015, while on temporary duty assignment in Abilene, TX. Through the encouragement of her recovery care coordinator, Jacqui tried adaptive sports in 2018 and she would make the Air Force Wounded Warrior team for the DoD Warrior Games in Colorado Springs later that year. Earlier this year, she represented the United States at the first-ever Winter Invictus Games.

U.S. Navy Petty Officer Third Class Gabriella Zamora, or Gabby, was diagnosed with compartment syndrome and has a spinal stimulator to manage her injuries. After being introduced to adaptive sports, she regained her confidence and purpose, helping her overcome depression following her injury. Gabby earned six medals representing Team Navy at the Warrior Games at Disney World last year. Adaptive sports reignited her passion, allowing her to mentor others and continue making her branch proud.

Kari Treat is an assistant swim coach at Reach Aquatics and has been involved with GLASA, a Move United member organization in the Chicago area. She received her Level 1 Para Swimming Coaching Certification and is passionate about celebrating incremental improvements and emphasizing the journey of learning and growth. As the mother of a child with a limb difference, she co-founded the Limb Difference Collective and is co-host of the Parenting Children with Limb Differences Podcast.

Bryce Ewing played a lot of sports growing up. She then enlisted in the U.S. Army and had the opportunity to be assigned to work with Blackhawk helicopters. A year and a half into her enlistment, she was diagnosed with cancer at 23 years old. Bryce is now 10 years out and in full remission. She got back into sports through the Warrior Transition Unit and would compete at the Valor Games. But this past February, she also represented the United States at the first-ever Winter Invictus Games.

Marc Mast started as a supervisor of Achieve Tahoe’s adaptive ski school in 1986 and earned his level 2 adaptive instructor certification in 1990. As one of the early pioneers in alpine adaptive winter skiing, he has decades of experience as a national and international clinician. He also was the founder of the adaptive program at Sun Valley, currently known as Higher Ground). Marc also decided to add Nordic skiing into the mix. We chat about the history and evolution of adaptive skiing.

Kathy Chandler has been a pioneer in the adaptive sports space for decades, particular in para alpine skiing. She was one of the first individuals to become certified as an adaptive ski instructor and founded the program at Waterville Valley. But she also helped start a number of programs in New England and across the country. Through her involvement with The Hartford Ski Spectacular and elsewhere, she has literally helped thousands of individuals with disabilities learn to ski. So we talk about the history of the adaptive sports movement and winter adaptive sports.

Army veteran JP Lane was injured during a deployment to Afghanistan in 2010, sustaining 26 injuries and losing both legs. In addition to being a singer, author, and speaker, the Purple Heart recipient is also an athlete, winning three gold medals at the DOD Warrior Games.