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ADAPTED ATHLETICS 2023-2024 NEWSLETTER

TOGETHER ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE

Video Transcript

Adapted Athletics Video Transcript

-   Text moves across the screen in a wave, from top to bottom, from back to front, from right to left and flashing in the middle. The background colors flash from red to white. The text reads: ADAPTED ATHLETICS THANKS YOU ALL FOR DONATING & SUPPORTING OUR TEAM WE HAVE RAISED A TOTAL OF $5,500.

- Andrew Lee: Thank you for all your donations.

-   (Video of Nelya Schasfoort in a gym throwing a medicine ball on the floor. The medicine ball makes a bump sound when it hits the ground)

- Nelya Schasfoort: Your donations have allowed me to get an education and train as a top level athlete.

-   (Video of Parker Olenick laying down and pulling weights on a cable machine and sitting up. The cable makes a pulling sound.)

- Parker Olenick: Because of your donations I am able to compete around the world.

- Ryo Sagakuchi: Thank you for your donations.

-   (Video of Michelle Cross squatting and lifting a barbell and setting it down and stepping forward. The barbell makes a loud clanking sound when set down.)

- Michelle Cross: Thank you to everyone who donated to our Lift-a-thon. Your donations give me the opportunity to compete at the Pan American Games.

- Coach Greg Hasterhok: With your support we have been able to raise enough money to send our athletes to tournaments to compete alongside other colleges, to have the same opportunities that our Division 1 athletes are here at San Diego State.

-   (Marco Borges is lying on a bench press in the gym and bench pressing three times and then sits up. The sound of a weight machine clang in the background once.)

- Marco Borges: Your donation helped me make my dreams possible, thank you alot.

-   (Screen Transitions to black background and the words THANK YOU! in the middle in white. 9 small rectangles with videos of the people at a gym lifting weights from form a large rectangle behind it)

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Now that 2023 is behind us, and a new year has begun, I am both grateful for all that we accomplished in the past twelve months and eager to see what we can conquer in the next twelve. Our adaptive athletes have survived an intense Fall semester filled with heavy training and even heavier events. Here at the SDSU Adapted Athletics program, we help develop these athletes to be the very best they can be as people, professionals, and athletes. We do this by teaching the importance of following and exemplifying Adapted Athletics’ C.R.E.E.D. each and every day, on and off the field, court, or track. Our C.R.E.E.D. stands for Commitment, Respect, Excellence, Empowerment, and Diversity and is designed to be a guide towards the positive impact we make in the world every day. In this newsletter, I would like to discuss one of these guiding principles: Respect.

Respect is at the heart of all we accomplish here at SDSU. We believe that in order to receive respect we must first be willing to give it to those around us. Without this initial, magnanimous giving of respect, we cannot expect to receive it from our shared community. Historically, people with disabilities have not received the same level of care, resources, or respect as their able-bodied counterparts and yet have continued to endeavor to break through barriers, both athletically and socially, despite these disparities. In fact, our entire adaptive sports program is specifically designed to mirror some of the top collegiate sports programs in order to level this playing field and lead the way as a shining example of what can be accomplished when resources are modeled to those afforded to Division I programs.

I am fortunate enough to have witnessed the unbelievable feats our athletes have accomplished in five years here as Aztecs - from international competitions to record breaking javelin throws, a pioneer para-surfer bringing his sport to the collegiate level, to our first athlete starting grad school. I am unabashedly proud of our athletes’ accomplishments and I respect their tenacity, determination, and power of will to accomplish any and all of their goals. Truly at the end of the day, respect is a mindset. If you can consistently hold yourself in high regard, respect the efforts that you are putting out into the world, and save space in your heart for empathy toward your peers, you have already succeeded where many others have failed.

I respect each and every member of our adaptive family here at SDSU Adapted Athletics, because I know first hand why each of them have made SDSU their home. They believe wholeheartedly in the mission and shared determination of our program, to be the very best at what we do and to respect both ourselves, and those we crush in competition.

With a new year ahead of us, and an unforgiving competition schedule ahead, the respect we hold for our teammates will be the game changing factor that propels us to victory with honor. I believe in this program, I believe in these athletes, and I believe in our family.

— A.J. Munoz-Bond, Director SDSU Adapted Athletics

SUPPORT OUR ADAPTED ATHLETES

Group of Adapted Athletes at an event

SDSU Adapted Athletics is the first and only competitive, collegiate adaptive sports program in California. We are grateful for all the support we’ve received. While our program does receive financial support from Associated Students, the program also relies on donations to support our athletes and cover operational expenses, including college scholarships, competition and travel expenses, and adaptive equipment.

There are a few meaningful ways you can support us as we empower adaptive athletes to reach their dreams on and off the field. You can make a tax-deductible, one-time or recurring gift by clicking the donate button below.

To learn more about other ways you can make donations, sponsor, or partner with our program, contact us at arc.adaptedathletics@sdsu.edu.

DONATE TODAY

RECENT & UPCOMING EVENTS

Fall 2023

Manny Gomez preparing a serve at the wheelchair tennis invitational.

2nd Annual Wheelchair Tennis Invitational:
September 15 - 16, 2023

What happens when you bring three of the top collegiate wheelchair tennis teams in the nation together to compete for a weekend under the sunshine and palm trees at SDSU? You get our most successful and fun Wheelchair Tennis Invitational yet. This second annual event was an action-packed weekend of matches between SDSU, University of Alabama, Auburn University and Barnes Tennis Center. Everyone came to win, but at the end of the day, SDSU took 1st place! Now that competition has begun, we predict great things from Coach Greg Hasterok, and players Ryotaro Sakaguchi and Manny Gomez.

Weightlifting competitors bench pressing as spectators observe

Lift-A-Thon
September 30, 2023

Lift-A-Thon, our signature weightlifting competition and fundraiser, is designed to bring awareness of Adapted Athletics to the SDSU campus by joining adaptive athletes, able-bodied students and staff together in the spirit of athleticism! 60 people came out to test their strength and raise as much money as they could for the program. Collectively we bench pressed 1,607 reps! Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we reached our goal by raising $5,500 to help cover essential expenses. A special shout out to Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity for showing up in force, Roger Winn for officiating, our amazing volunteers, and all our participants and donors! We look forward to doing this again next year!

New track & field recruits posing for a group photo

Recruitment Day
October 20, 2023

Since our first athlete, Michelle Cross, signed in 2018, we have been growing our program by recruiting some of the top athletic talents across the country. As part of our recruitment process we hosted a full experiential day, welcoming a large group of the athletes from all over the country that have applied to join our program. Some of the athletes are already on the Team USA Para Track & Field team and have had the opportunity to work with Coach Jasmine at the 2023 Parapan American Games. You’ll have to wait to see who the next class of SDSU adapted athletes will be…

Adaptive athletes sharing their perspectives on what it means to be an elite athlete living with a physical disability

Adaptive Athlete Showcase
November 7, 2023

As SDSU Adapted Athletics continues to get bigger and better, so did our Adaptive Athlete Showcase. It truly was a showcase of athletic talent and human achievement. 150 attendees listened to a panel of our adaptive athletes as they shared their perspectives on what it means to be an elite athlete living with a physical disability, as well as what the values of C.R.E.E.D. means to them. This was followed by our keynote speakers, 5-time Paralympian Lex Gillette and 4-time Paralympic Guide Runner Jerome Avery, a powerful duo with incredible life experiences as a totally blind sprinter and long-jumper and his guide runner. Lex’s message that there is “no need for sight when you have a vision” and Jerome’s life motto of “success through selflessness” left an indelible mark on all those who attended. Thank you to Delta Gamma sorority for supporting the event through their philanthropy “Service for Sight.”

SDSU Adapted Athletics athletes posing for a photo at the 2023 Parapan American Games

Parapan American Games Santiago 2023
November 17 - 16, 2023

As many of our fans know, our vision is to support adaptive athletes as they reach their goals personally, professionally and athletically. Three of our team members have exemplified that by training for and competing at the Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Michelle Cross returned to the Parapans with Team USA, achieving her personal bests in the 100 m and 200 m sprints. Marco Borges, competing on behalf of Team Brazil, threw seated shotput and took home Silver! Finally, our very own throws coach, Coach Jasmine Burrell, was selected to coach for Team USA at Parapans and helped guide her throwing team to multiple medals! Look out Paralympics!!!

Parker Harvey sprinting at the Red & Black Meet

Aztec Red and Black Meet
December 9, 2023

There was a lot of anticipation for the Aztec Red & Black track meet, and it did not disappoint! The inclusive, all-comers meet on the SDSU Sports Deck was buzzing with able-bodied and para-athletes of all ages. Three of our new athletes, Parker Harvey, Jackie Heath and Ishmael Estrada competed along with veteran athletes Anthony Pone and Marco Borges. Our freshman athlete, Jackie Heath, achieved her lifetime best and broke the under 20 yr old record, F37 classification for para-athletes in javelin throwing 19.74 meters! Parker ran the 60 m and 150 m sprints, and Anthony Pone and Marco Borges threw seated shotput. Ishmael competed in the ambulatory shot put for the first time and achieved a personal best by throwing over 8 meters. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the athletes, Coach Rolland Slade and Coach Jasmine Burrell. This is just a taste of what’s to come!

Jasmine Burrell posing for a photo after having won an award for outstanding performance.

Adapted Athletics Fall Banquet
December 9, 2023

As the saying goes “work hard, play hard,” and after an intense semester came to a close, we all joined together to enjoy good food, reflect on our achievements and honor our athletes with their SDSU Adapted Athletic gear. As part of a new tradition, we also gave awards in recognition of exceptional performance. Michelle Cross received The C.R.E.E.D Athlete award for embodying our values of Commitment, Respect, Excellence, Empowerment and Diversity, and Parker Harvey received the “Most Improved Athlete” award for his personal, academic and athletic improvements. Coach Jasmine Burrell received the staff honor of “Outstanding Performance” for her years of support and going above and beyond.

Spring 2024

COME OUT AND SUPPORT!
A para-athlete weaving through a series of cones.

Roll 'Round to See: PT for You and Me
Friday, March 8, 2024

Adapted Athletics is teaming up with one of our partner student organizations, Adapted Sports Physical Therapy (ASPT), for their hands-on, experiential event Roll ‘Round to See: PT for You and Me. This event is designed to increase visibility and awareness of adapted sports and what our shared mission is about for all SDSU students and community members. We will have various activities and short games for individuals to experience wheelchair and adapted sports. ASPT is primarily composed of Doctorate of Physical Therapy students and adapted athletes so there also will be physical therapy treatment tables set up with people to answer questions about our weekly adaptive sports PT clinic!

LOCATION: San Diego State University Campus

TIME:  - p.m

Para-athlete running on a track.

2024 US Para Track & Field National Championships
March 15 - 17, 2024

The USPTF National Championships brings the best of the best together to compete at a national level. This event will be the selection competition for any Team USA hopefuls to earn a spot on the World Championships Team to compete in Kobe, Japan in late May. Athletes from all over the country, including high school, collegiate and the professional levels, compete against each other to earn the honor of being a part of Team USA.

LOCATION: Mt. San Antonio College (Walnut, CA)

Three para-athletes posing for a photo.

The 45th Annual Aztec Invitational
March 21 - 23, 2024

Join our track and field team on campus for the 45th edition of the Aztec Invite! This competition is a shining example of inclusion to the highest degree in the Division I sports. Attendees to this event will experience both DI athletes from across the west coast region as well as high level adaptive athletes, including Team USA members looking to secure top marks in their divisions.

LOCATION: San Diego State University Sports Deck

SDSU's Wheelchair Tennis team posing for a photo.

2024 Wheelchair Tennis Collegiate Nationals
April 10 - 13, 2024

In the 2024 season, our SDSU Wheelchair Tennis Team will return to the USTA National Campus to compete against 10+ collegiate teams from across the country at the 2024 Wheelchair Tennis Collegiate National Championships. Our Aztecs finished last year as the runner up for the championship match, however, this year we are on track to crush the competition and take home gold!

LOCATION: USTA National Campus, Orlando, FL

MEET OUR NEW ATHLETES

Ishmael Estrada

Ishmael Estrada

  • Sport: Para Track & Field
  • Major: Kinesiology of Pre-Physical Therapy
  • Athlete Status: Aspiring Elite Student Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    Transitioning from seated to standing throwing.
  • Fun Fact: I’m the youngest in my family.
Parker Harvey

Parker Harvey

  • Sport: Para Track & Field
  • Major: Kinesiology with a minor in Game Design & 3D Modeling
  • Athlete Status: Elite Student Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    I won three 1st place medals at high school CIF track and field in 100m, 200m and shot put for the ambulatory division and still hold the CIF ambulatory shot put record. I played in the 2018 high school football state championships and took 8th place in 110 Hurdles at the 3C2A Track & Field Regionals.
  • Fun Fact: I do 3D modeling in my free time.
Jackie Heath

Jackie Heath

  • Sport: Para Track & Field
  • Major: Communications
  • Athlete Status: Elite Student Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    Ranking # 1 in the International Paralympic Committee’s rankings for F37 javelin.
  • Fun Fact: I’m in a sorority.
Makai Uzoma Heussen

Makai Uzoma Heussen

  • Sport: Para Swimming
  • Major: BS Biology, emphasis in Marine Biology
  • Athlete Status: Aspiring Elite Student Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    Reviving my passion as an athlete after sustaining my injury by pursuing the incredible opportunities of the adaptive sports world.
  • Fun Fact: I was born and lived in the Netherlands before moving to the US in 2010.
Parker Olenick

Parker Olenick

  • Sport: Para Surfing
  • Major: Communications
  • Athlete Status: Elite Community Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    Finishing 1st in the Japan Open.
  • Fun Fact: I design all my own surfboards.

FEATURE:RYOHTAROH “RYO” SAGAKUCHI

#1 JUNIOR WHEELCHAIR TENNIS PLAYER IN JAPAN

When Ryotaroh Sagakuchi (also known as Ryo) was five years of age he watched Shingo Kunieda, a world champion wheelchair tennis player, compete in the Beijing Paralympic Games and this ignited something inside him to try the sport. This moment changed the course of his life and through his determination and commitment to the sport, Ryo went on to become the #1 junior wheelchair tennis player in Japan.

Ryo then made another bold decision to move to the United States by himself to join the SDSU Adapted Athletics wheelchair tennis team in the Fall of 2022. This was especially brave given that this was his first time living away from his parents and he was still learning the English language.

Now fifteen years after seeing his tennis idol on T.V., Ryo is well on his way to becoming a world class wheelchair tennis player that other young athletes may aspire to be like. Ryo’s wins have continued to increase for himself and for his team in the Fall 2023, with Ryo coming in 1st for singles at the Hendrickson Classics and the SDSU team coming in 1st place at the 2nd annual Wheelchair Tennis Invitational.

Overcoming challenges is something that all adaptive athletes face, and on top of this, Ryo also has had to overcome challenges of adapting to a new culture, especially when it comes to food and language barriers. However, as part of the Adapted Athletics program, Ryo has access to support from our High Performance Partners including nutritionists, physical therapists, strength and conditioning coaches, and mental performance coaches to help him navigate this new terrain and support him as an elite wheelchair tennis player competing at the collegiate level.

Working with the Sports Nutrition Cooperative helps Ryo make the right food choices for his food allergies, the weekly clinic run by the doctor of physical therapy program provides 1 on 1 support to help his body recover from his nine hours of practice each week which helps prevent injury, and the strength and conditioning coaches are helping him get stronger. Because Ryo didn’t have access to weight training in Japan, he counts the opportunity to work with Coach and Program Director, AJ Munoz-Bond, as his favorite part of the program.

In addition to his athletic goals, Ryo is continuing to strive for his academic goals as part of the undergraduate pathway program, where he is learning to master English while also taking classes as a university student and pursuing his interest in kinesiology. When he’s not playing tennis or in class, you’ll find Ryo playing gaming and watching anime.

While Ryo has grown to feel at home at SDSU, he loves his home country and hopes that others have the opportunity to experience its delicious food, kind people, and beautiful scenery. He highly recommends visiting Kyoto to experience the variety of Japanese culture and history. Just this past winter break, Ryo was able to return home to his community just outside of Tokyo, to celebrate his 20th birthday and as part of a cultural tradition his whole town went to Disneyland! We celebrate Ryo for all of his courage to explore the world and to go after his dreams.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS,
PARTNERS AND DONORS!

We couldn't do any of this without the support of our generous sponsors, partners and donors. If you have donated one-time or supported us from the start, we are grateful!

A special thank you to our long-time supporters:

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