PHOTO PROVIDED BY MOVE ALONG INC.
Move Along offers adaptive sports for youth, adults | BY TAMMY DiDOMENICO o matter who you are, or how old you are, being active can provide measurable physical and psychological benefits. For those with physical limitations, access to opportunities to be active, and to enjoy the benefits of competition, can be hard to find. Oswego resident Greg Callen has set out to change that.
Along since 2010, estimates that there are about 30 children and teens in Central New York who are regularly participating in Move Along programs. Always looking to reach more, Wright, and Sled Hockey Manager Susan Arnold, can frequently be seen out in the community coordinating demonstrations of Move Along programs at facilities throughout the Central New York area.
Callen, who suffered a fall in 2005 that left him paralyzed from the waist down, started Move Along Inc. in 2009. The mission was, and remains, to provide access to adaptive sport and recreation opportunities for those with disabilities (and their friends and loved ones).
Move Along also conducts inclusive sport demonstration programs for schools, bringing adapted wheelchairs to the schools to show how the equipment enables anyone to enjoy the game of basketball. Move Along has reached about 18,000 students in 16 different schools since its inception. “We believe that going into the schools definitely raises awareness,” says Wright. “This equipment builds inclusion.”
“I was driven to get others involved at that point, and to build off of that little program into others that could enable individuals to see opportunity to live again, and rebuild their quality of life through reintegration by athletics and recreation,” says Callen. A decade in, Move Along now offers adaptive cycling, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, swimming, kayaking and paddling and sled hockey – 40 programs over a five-county area. Callen and his collaborators are always looking for more activities that can be adapted to be more inclusive, and are currently setting their sights on programs for golf and lacrosse. They also hope to expand the basketball program to include a competitive league. “The bottom line is, we offer people ways to get out and get moving,” says Jeff Wright, executive director. “Once they get out there and try one of these programs, they realize that they are not defined by their disabilities. It doesn’t matter if someone is 12 or 62. I’ve seen it happen again and again. It’s about taking that first step, and that’s a huge step.” While Move Along offers programs for all ages, Callen has made outreach to youth a priority. Wright, who has worked with Move 12
LOCAL FACES
But it’s equipment that is very expensive. An adapted bike costs anywhere from $2,400-$6,000, wheelchairs designed for basketball run upwards of $3,200 and hockey sleds run $1,100 and up. Callen and Wright have built strong relationships with various foundations that assist with the costs. The Veteran’s Administration supplies some funding, as many veterans utilize the organization’s programs. For most adaptive programs, participants can rent equipment from Move Along for about $75 a week. It’s recommended that they rent the equipment for at least two weeks. “This gives people a chance to see how they will use it,” Wright says. Those who wish to take their participation to the next level – or perhaps aspire to a level of competition that requires more rigorous training – are encouraged to apply for grants through foundations listed on Move Along’s website, www.movealonginc.org. continued on page 14
