Redefining Disability

Matt Scott was diagnosed with spinal bifida at birth. He started playing wheelchair basketball when he was 14 years old. In 2004, was recruited to be on the U.S. Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team. He is now a two-time World Champion and has played the sport professionally in Europe. As a Team Hartford athlete, Matt has been a part of a number of The Hartford’s Ability Equipped events and went alpine skiing for the first time this past week at The Hartford Ski Spectacular.

Sport has always been an integral part of Steve Emt’s life, even making the University of Connecticut men’s basketball team as a walk on. But at age 25, an automobile accident left him paralyzed. He was searching for something that would fill the void. At age 42, he found it when he was recruited for the U.S. wheelchair curling team. Steve would go on to compete at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang and working to make the 2022 Paralympics as well. So what is curling? Listen to our conversation and find out how exciting this sport is. Steve is the author of "You D.E.C.I.D.E.", which is both a memoir and a self-help book written to empower you to believe in yourself.

Sports allowed Ryan Neiswender to feel free. At an early age, he discovered wheelchair basketball and would receive a full scholarship to play at the University of Illinois, where he was named a 4-time All-American. He would then play the sport professionally in Europe and just a couple months ago, he would help Team USA secure its second gold medal in a row at the Paralympic Games in Tokyo. He talks about how our differences make us unique and strong as well as the power of belief.

Jaleen Roberts was born with cerebral palsy. She was encouraged by her high school coaches to compete in the ambulatory races at the Washington state track meet. After some convincing, she would ultimately get involved with adaptive sports through ParaSport Spokane, a Move United member organization. Jaleen’s first para track and field competition took place at the Desert Challenge Games, where she also got classified. Just a couple months ago, she competed in her first Paralympic Games in Tokyo, earning silver medals in the 100 meter and long jump.

Bart Salgado served in the U.S. Marine Corps and was on the ground during the liberation of Kuwait. After his military service, he working on the railroad where he suffered an injury that resulted in the amputation of both legs. Salgado has been a part of the USA Wheelchair Football League since its inception, serving on the rules committee as well as a player and coach for the Los Angeles Rams team hosted by Angel City Sports. So we talk about what it is like to play the game of football and the inaugural season of the league.

Retired Army Officer Melissa Stockwell is proud to wear the United States uniform. She did so as an Army officer and, after a roadside bomb in Iraq led to her left leg being amputated above the knee, she wore the Red, White, and Blue for Team USA. Not in one Paralympic Games, not in two. But in three. The world champion and Paralympic bronze medalist in paratriathlon continues to rack up accomplishments while also continuing to serve others. She co-founded Dare2Tri, a Move United member organization based in Chicago and has launched a prosthetic company with her husband Brian. She has also written a book called The Power of Choice, so we chat with her about it.

Jami Goldman Marseilles is an elementary school teacher, a motivational speaker, an author of two books, and has been featured a highly acclaimed Adidas foot wear tv commercial.

At the age of 19, she was driving home from a ski trip in New Mexico with her friend Lisa when they found themselves on a deserted Arizona logging road in a blinding snow storm. After sliding into a snow bank the women found themselves stranded and alone, huddling for warmth in their stalled, now buried vehicle while the storm raged on.

Rescued but severely frost-bitten, Jami ultimately had to have both of her legs amputated below the knee. But relearning how to walk again, with her prosthetics, was not enough. In 1996, after watching the Paralympics Games, Jami wanted to become an elite runner herself., earning numerous world records and gold medals. Jami teaches others how to use the power of body, mind, spirit as a catalyst to conquer adversity and reach new levels of well-being and happiness.

A graduate of The Citadel, Sarah Evans was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. While serving in Afghanistan in 2012, she was diagnosed with bone cancer, eventually leading to the amputation of her left leg at the hip. Captain Evans would be introduced to adaptive sports at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, which led her to compete in the Warrior and Invictus Games. Her “no quit” mentality also led to her completing the 26.2 mile Bataan Memorial Death March on crutches and summiting Mt Kilimanjaro. In addition to working on a graduate degree, she currently lives in Florida with her husband and two young sons, where sports have become a family affair.

Amanda McGrory attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign as a dual sport athlete to play wheelchair basketball and compete as a member of wheelchair racing team. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Library and Information Science. She competed in her 4th Paralympic Games last month in Tokyo to conclude her career as an elite athlete, racking up seven Paralympic medals and over 25 marathons along the way. She has been an active with Move United Junior Nationals and today serves as the archivist at the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee.

Wheelchair Racer Daniel Romanchuk has been on fire the past couple of years. He has won the Chicago Marathon, the London Marathon, the New York City Marathon (he earned the title of youngest athlete to do so) and many more. In 2019, Daniel became the first American to win the Boston Marathon in 26 years in his category. Last month, he earned two medals, a gold and a bronze at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Since then, he has been non-stop, competing and winning medals at the Berlin, London, Chicago, and Boston marathons.