Redefining Disability

In 2009, Mason Symons was on his way to the Armory to report to duty with the PA Army National Guard when he had a motorcycle accident and broke his neck. After that, he would discover the sport of wheelchair rugby. He loves the team aspect and camaraderie that comes with playing the game. He played for Team USA at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, earning a silver medal. He also plays locally with the Oscar Mike team and like to keep other veterans on the move.

At 10 months old, Rob Rodriguez had his right leg amputated below-the-knee. A gifted athlete, Rob has been a member of the para-elite triathlon team and the amputee soccer team for Team USA. He is a Para Spartan competitor, appeared on TV shows such as “American Ninja Warrior,” “Ink Masters,” “Fosse,” and others. In 2019, his life documentary titled “Able,” was nominated for an Emmy. Rob currently works as a Community Care Coordinator at Hanger Clinic in the NY Metro area and also travels across the country as a motivational speaker.

Roderick Sewell is a swimmer who represented Team USA on three national teams. In 2019, he became the first bilateral above-the-knee amputee to complete the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. The YMCA was critical to his early development and now Roderick is a mentor and swim coach.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Northern Alabama and is the author of a new book entitled Iron Will.

Maggie Baumer is an attorney licensed to practice in both New York and Massachusetts. She currently serves as Area Clinic Business Manager for Hanger Clinic. Maggie is a Certified Peer Visitor for the AMPOWER program, a peer-to-peer network designed to empower and strengthen those affected by amputation or limb difference through peer mentorship, educational resources, and community events and is involved in the So Every BODY Can Move campaign.

Brendan Downes was born with spina bifida and started playing sports early in life. He now plays wheelchair softball for the Minnesota Twins and has been involved with adaptive sports through the Courage Kenny Center, a Move United member organization. Brendan is also a former president of the National Wheelchair Softball Association, has played with Team USA multiple times and is a Hall of Famer.

After surviving a traumatic boating accident that resulted in the amputation of his right leg, Parker Byrd became the first NCAA baseball player to attempt to play with a prosthetic. But his story doesn’t stop at physical recovery — he’s now a sought-after speaker and advocate for resilience, mental health, and purpose-driven living. Whether he’s stepping back onto the field as a Division I baseball player at East Carolina University or sharing his faith and mindset with thousands, Parker is redefining what it means to persevere.

Tatyana McFadden is the most winning American track and field athlete of all time, Olympian or Paralympian! Some of Tatyana’s remarkable accomplishments include 22 Paralympic medals (including eight gold medals), 24 World Major Marathon wins, 7 Paralympic Games, 5 World Records, and 4 Grand Slams. She was named the Best Female Athlete of the 2016 Paralympic Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), received the ESPY Award as the Best Female Athlete with a Disability, and was named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” list. She was also a producer and star in “Rising Phoenix”, the Netflix drama that tells the story of the Paralympic Movement.

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.