Redefining Disability

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.

On April 15, 2013, Marc Fucarile was supporting a friend running the Boston Marathon when his life immediately changed. He was feet away from the second bomb when it went off, which took his right leg above the knee, nearly his left leg, and he was covered in burns and had shrapnel in his body. As part of his recovery and rehabilitation, Marc came out to Ski Spectacular with Move United and is still active recreationally with sports. In addition, he is a mentor, speaker, and the founder of the MARC network.

In July 2009, Kevin Mather was on a training ride in the foothills of Los Angeles with a group of friends when he was hit by a truck. A few years later, he would win the wheelchair division of the Los Angeles Marathon and finished second at the 2012 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. He was encouraged to get into para archery through a friend at Craig Hospital in Colorado and decided to get serious with the sport in 2017. That paid off for Kevin in 2020, when we won the gold medal at the Paralympic Games.

Eden Schroeder was a swimmer growing up and played other sports as well. At the age of 18, she became paralyzed after diving into shallow water. Shortly thereafter, Eden would return to the pool and started to compete at the elite level. Her goal is to represent Team USA at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and she is also starting to work on her doctorate in psychology. Eden also uses social media to educate people about disability.