Redefining Disability

Mandy Willmore received a scholarship to play basketball at college. While in Hawaii for a tournament, she would become paralyzed while surfing. At first, she wanted nothing to do with wheelchair basketball, but that mindset would eventually change. For the past 2 years Mandy has attended the University of Wisconsin -Whitewater to obtain her MBA and would play for the women’s wheelchair basketball team there. She is now part of the National Team. In addition, she is one of the program managers at GLASA, a Move United member organization in Chicago.

Lauren Haneke-Hopps just graduated from the University of Alabama, earning a master’s degree in exercise and sports science. Not only did she excel as a student, being on the Dean’s List and named as an Academic All-American, but she is an elite wheelchair tennis player, winning several single and double competitions, medaling at at the ITA World Team Cup, and being named a Collegiate National Champion multiple years. Lauren can also be found as one of the instructors for Move United OnDemand, free online fitness platform.

Just two years after a spinal cord injury, David Kiley made the USA National Team in basketball. At his first Paralympic Games in 1976, he would win gold medals in all five of his events, including one in basketball but also four in track. In all, he would represent the US in six Paralympics in three sports (the other being alpine skiing, where he also won gold). During his career, DK became the only player to play wheelchair basketball in four different decades. Kiley went on to coach in three additional Paralympic Games as a part of the wheelchair basketball team and has served as NWBA Commissioner and President.

Steve Martin served in the U.S. Army. After completing his military service, he would become an Arizona State Trooper. Then 9/11 happened. That moment led to him to joining the State Department as part of a team embedded with the military in Afghanistan. During a mission in 2008, Steve would be wounded by an IED. After a year and a half of going through limb salvage, he would have both legs amputated. Sport has been a means to stay active, have fun, and see how far he can push his body.

Catarina Guimaraes is a second-degree black belt, won 2 silver medals at the 2018 International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports competition in Ireland, was recently named a CP Soccer World Cup All-Star and has held various national track and field records. And at 18 years old, she is just getting started. We chat with her just before she is set to compete at Move United Junior Nationals presented by The Hartford in Denver, Colorado next month.

Barry Weintraub is an activity-based exercise specialist at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute, a Move United member organization based in Minneapolis. He has coached wheelchair softball and basketball. Barry created the wheelchair lacrosse program there and has served on the board of Wheelchair Lacrosse USA. Sow we chat with him about hitting the sticks.

Sam Maddaus is a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Two years into his Naval assignment in San Diego and after coming back from deployment, he would be in a motorcycle accident. The injuries would result in a below the knee amputation about a month into his rehabilitation. He was worried he would never be able to box or snowboard again, but five months after his amputation he found himself in Vail and back on a board. At this very moment, he is hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, a 2,653 mile journey from the U.S. Southern border with Mexico to the U.S. Northern border with Canada.

Daniel Hersh co-founded the Colorado Rolling Mammoth wheelchair lacrosse team in 2011 and has been highly involved ever since. In addition to serving as the team’s captain, he also serves on the board of Wheelchair Lacrosse USA.

Jessie Cloy is a 4X Paralympian in the sport of track and field, earning 7 medals at the Paralympic Games over her career. She first got involved in wheelchair racing through Children’s Lightning Wheels in New Jersey after a car accident. After retiring from competition, she continued to stay involved in adaptive sports as an official, a coach, a volunteer and now coordinates Move United Junior Nationals, an event she competed in just two years after the accident.

Ellen Minzner is the Director of Para High Performance for US Rowing, where she focuses on athlete identification and development. Previously, she served as the Director of Inclusion and Advocacy at Community Rowing, a Move United member organization in Boston, where she and her team of coaches and staff pioneered a model for serving people with disabilities, military veterans, and underserved youth that has become a national standard.