Adapted Athletics Newsletter 2025-2026 | Aztec Recreation | A.S.

MOMENTUM IN FOCUS

SDSU Adapted Athletics 2025-2026 Media Day Transcript

00:00-00:02 Camera and white backdrop. “Adapted” graphic title fades onto screen.

00:03-00:06 “Adapted Athletics Media Day” graphic title fades onto screen as Maria Del Carmen, the photographer, adjusts lights.

00:06-00:09 “Adapted Athletics Media Day” title on screen with headshots of athlete Ana Firvida are presented on a computer screen. “Adapted Athletics Media Day” title fades off screen.

00:09-00:10 Ana Firvida poses for her headshot.

00:10-00:12 Firvida jumps to the beat of the song for an “in-action” photograph.

00:12-00:13 Montage sequence of studio: computer with 2024 headshots next to speaker setup.

00:14-00:15 Montage sequence of studio: rainbow analog time clock reading “10:27 A.M.”.

00:15-00:16 Camera zooms in as Coach Jasmine Burrell (seated), athletes Chloe Chavez (left side) and Alicia Guerrero (right side) pose as Maria Del Carmen takes a photo.

00:16-00:18 Camera zooms in on Ana Firvida and Alicia Guerrero posing with their arms extended and pointing to the photographer’s camera

00:18-00:19 Detail insert of hot pink with a lime green swoosh on athletic shoes next to two discuses and shotput ball, propped up on an “apple box”.

00:19-00:20 Chloe Chavez and Alicia Guerrero lay on the ground with their feet up and hands under their chin posing for the camera with two discuses and a shotput ball in front of them.

00:20-00:21 Alicia Guerrero smiles for a closeup with her athletic shoes that read “NIKE” in sparkly lime green and pink letters hanging around her neck.

00:21-00:22 Ana Firvida’s head rests on Alicia Guerrero’s as they lay on the ground posing for a photo.

00:23-00:24 Ana Firvida sits on an “apple box” and smiles into the handheld mirror she is holding up.

00:24-00:25 Ana Firvida pumps her arm and gets “hyped up” for her photo.

00:25-00:26 Ana Firvida gets into running stance.

00:26-00:28 Ana Firvida (left side) and Alicia Guerrero (right side) are back to back and dangle their athletic shoes with their index finger.

00:28-00:30 Camera pans around Maria Del Carmen and Coach Jasmine as they direct athlete Makai Heussen in his wheelchair

00:30-00:32 Athlete TJ Donnan poses for his photo.

00:33-00:34 Camera zooms out on Makai Heussen posing with his swim goggles his forehead

00:35-00:36 Makai Heussen and Maria Del Carmen laugh together.

00:36-00:38 Makai Heussen laughs as he holds up his SDSU swim cap for a photo.

00:38-00:39 Alicia Guerrero poses with legs crossed sitting on a chair holding up two discuses, one in each hand.

00:40-00:43 Coach Jasmine directs Chloe Chavez to pose with her arms flexing.

00:44-00:46 Chloe Chavez poses with her athletic shoes in her left hand, slinged over her shoulder as she laughs.

00:46-00:47 TJ Donnan poses with a straight face with his athletic shoes slinged over his left shoulder.

00:48-00:49 Chloe Chavez (left side) and Alicia Guerrero (right side) make a heart with their arms over Coach Jasmine.

00:50-00:51 Medium close up on Coach Jasmine’s hand adjusting Ana Firvida’s Paranational Championship medal.

00:51-00:53 Makai Heussen sits in his wheelchair with his back to Maria Del Carmen’s camera, holding his goggles over his shoulder, behind his back.

00:53-00:55 Maria Del Carmen adjusts lighting for Makai Heussen’s headshots.

00:56-00:58 Camera zooms in as Alicia Guerrero poses with her prosthetic leg back and her chest turned towards the camera, holding her arm in the air with a discus.

00:58-00:59 TJ Donnan flexes with right arm and holds out his pink, white, and blue Nike athletic shoes with his left hand, arm extended.

00:59-01:00 Medium close up of Chloe Chavez laughing while holding up a discus in each hand

01:00-01:01 TJ Donnan grunts into Maria Del Carmen’s camera with athletic shoes slinged over left shoulder.

01:01-01:02 Alicia Guerrero smiles into Maria Del Carmen’s camera holding up a whiteboard saying “New Delhi, India Worlds Bound 2025” with her athletic shoes dangling over her neck onto her shoulders.

01:02-01:04 Maria Del Carmen shows Alicia Guerrero photographs from the day. Guerrero says “oh yeah I like those” aloud.

01:04-01:07 The camera zooms out of the computer screen in the studio, displaying the headshots from the 2024 coaches and athletes of the Adapted Athletic program.

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

At SDSU Adapted Athletics, we often talk about our C.R.E.E.D. values. Over the last five of my letters here, I have focused your attention on each of those values as a way to shape the perspective of our recent progress. This year, however, we’ve been living a result: momentum. Momentum built through years of belief, investment, and trust which is now carrying our athletes onto new stages never before reached.

This past summer marked a historic moment for adaptive sport in the United States, as the USATF Para Track & Field National Championships were hosted alongside the USATF Outdoor National Championships at Hayward Field for the first time ever. Adaptive and able-bodied athletes competed together on the same world-class stage, sending a powerful message about inclusion at the highest level of sport. Our Aztecs rose to the moment, delivering standout performances and bringing home national medals proving that when given equal platforms, excellence follows.

That momentum continued internationally. Every member of our Track & Field Throws Team, including Coach Jasmine Burrell and athletes Alicia, Chloe, and Max, were named to Team USA and represented our country last October at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India. To see an entire unit from one collegiate program earn national team selection and bring home 3 medals for their country is extraordinary, and it speaks volumes about the standard our athletes and staff uphold personally, professionally, and athletically.

We are also witnessing historic growth across our programs. This year, our Wheelchair Tennis team recruited two student-athletes for the first time in program history and has already returned with medals from competition. These milestones reflect both athletic success and the strengthening of a pipeline that connects opportunity, education, and elite sport.

None of this progress happens alone. Our annual Lift-A-Thon fundraiser shattered program records raising over $20,000, welcoming more than 200 attendees, and engaging more sponsors than ever before. These funds directly support our athletes’ academic success and competitive opportunities, ensuring that financial barriers never limit potential.

As we turn the page on our C.R.E.E.D. series, we do so with pride and with purpose. The foundation is set. The momentum is real. And with your continued support, SDSU Adapted Athletics will keep pushing boundaries, expanding access, and proving what’s possible when inclusion is matched with intention.

Go Aztecs!

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

HIGHLIGHTS & EVENTS

FALL HIGHLIGHTS

Lift-a-Thon
November 15, 2025

LOCATION: Aztec Recreation Center

We had a successful fourth annual Lift-A-Thon this year, providing adaptive and able-bodied athletes the chance to compete side-by-side to raise awareness of Adapted Athletics. With over 1,700 reps completed on both the para bench press and squat and over $20,000 raised, we were able to surpass our goals this year. Thank you to everyone who participated, our generous sponsors, and over 70 volunteers who helped us surpass our goal. We are so excited to see you all again at the 2026 Lift-A-Thon!

Photo Credit: Marcus Hartmann

World Para Athletics Championships 2025
September 27 - October 5, 2025

LOCATION: New Delhi, India

Coach Jasmine Burrell and athletes Alicia Guerrero, Chloe Chavez, and Max Rohn had incredible performances at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India this year! Our athletes brought home three medals with Alicia placing third in the F64 Women’s Shot Put and F64 Women’s Discus and Max placing second in the F64 Men’s Discus. Chloe also accomplished her season best in the F64 Women’s Discus!

Recruitment Day
November 25, 2025

LOCATION: San Diego State University

Adapted Athletics hosted the annual recruitment day, meeting prospective student-athletes and their families. Prospective students toured campus, met with Adapted Athletics campus partners, and learned about resources on campus. We are excited to continue growing the Adapted Athletics program.

Red and Black Track Meet
December 6, 2025

LOCATION: SDSU Aztrack Sports Deck

The Red & Black Track Meet marked an exciting home opener for our adapted athletes, with Ana Firvida, Austin Spalla, Michelle Cross, TJ Donnan, and Coach Rolland Slade representing SDSU. All athletes posted season bests, including multiple personal bests in the 60-meter and 150-meter sprints.

The meet also marked a program milestone, as SDSU adapted athletes competed in the 4x400-meter relay for the first time alongside able-bodied competitors. Thank you to everyone who came out to support and help make the home opener a memorable one.

Wheelchair Tennis Wolverine Open
December 4 - December 7, 2025

LOCATION: University of Michigan, Varsity Tennis Center

SDSU Adapted Athletics wheelchair tennis student-athletes Khristian Martinez and Edgar Vidriales traveled to University of Michigan to compete in the Wolverine Open. Khristian Martinez delivered an outstanding performance, earning 1st place in doubles and 2nd place in singles. The trip marked a strong showing for the program, with the athletes competing under the guidance of Coach Greg Hasterok against elite collegiate competition.

COME OUT & SUPPORT

Adapted Sports Showcase
March 6, 2026 from 2pm to 5pm

LOCATION: Aztec Recreation Center

The third annual Adapted Sports Showcase will be taking place on March 6, 2026 from 2 to 5 pm at the Aztec Recreation Center. Our event showcases the work of the three groups (Adapted Athletics, Aztec Adaptive Sports, and Adapted Sports Physical Therapy) collaboratively building a support system for adaptive athletes on campus.

Wheelchair Tennis Invite
February 20 - February 21, 2026

LOCATION: SDSU Tennis Center

SDSU Adapted Athletics will host its third annual Wheelchair Tennis Invite on campus, welcoming elite collegiate wheelchair tennis programs for a highly competitive weekend of play. Student-athletes, Khristian Martinez and Edgar Vidriales, will represent SDSU as the tournament serves as a key preparatory event ahead of collegiate nationals in March. The Invite will continue to grow as an important opportunity for top programs to compete, connect, and prepare at the highest level of collegiate wheelchair tennis.

Aztec Invite
April 9 - April 10, 2026

LOCATION: SDSU Sports Deck

SDSU Adapted Athletics will take part in the Aztec Invite, SDSU’s major Division I home meet of the year, welcoming top collegiate programs from across the conference and beyond campus. The meet features high-level competition with qualification standards required to compete and marks the first time adapted programs from across the country have been formally invited to participate. This milestone reflects SDSU’s continued commitment to inclusivity and expanding opportunities for adapted athletes at premier collegiate events.

MEET OUR NEW ATHLETES

Chloe Chavez

Sport: Para Track & Field, Sprinter
Athlete Status: Elite Student Athlete
Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
My greatest athletic accomplishment is making Team USA Worlds in New Delhi, India.
Fun Facts:
- A fun fact about me is I own and raise my own herd of cattle.

TJ Donnan

Sport: Para Track & Field, Sprinter
Athlete Status: Elite Student Athlete
Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
My greatest athletic accomplishment came at the end of 2024, when I placed in the top eight in all six of my events at Swimming Nationals and earned a podium finish in the 200 backstroke. That meet boosted my confidence and showed me that I can compete with the best not only in my strongest events, but also in the ones that don’t come as naturally to me.
Fun Facts:
- I only started training for sprints this summer. Before that, I was a distance runner who primarily competed in the mile and two-mile, but I switched to sprinting since my classification doesn’t include events over 200 meters.

FEATURE:WORLD PARA ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

RISING TO THE WORLD STAGE

This past October, SDSU Adapted Athletics reached a major milestone as adaptive track and field student-athletes represented both Team USA and San Diego State University at the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India. Competing on one of the biggest stages in international athletics, SDSU athletes showcased the excellence, preparation, and commitment that continue to define the program’s growth.

Qualification for Worlds was driven by a standout performance earlier in the year at the 2025 USA Track and Field Para National Championships. Six SDSU Adapted Athletics student-athletes competed at the national level, delivering one of the strongest showings in program history. The meet produced three personal records, an American record, ten total medals, and World Championships qualification for three athletes: Alicia Guerrero, Chloe Chavez, and Max Rohn. Together, their performances reflected both individual achievement and the continued rise of SDSU as a competitive force in collegiate adapted athletics.

CHLOE CHAVEZ’S BREAKOUT YEAR

For Chloe Chavez, that success was built on a foundation shaped long before her arrival at SDSU. Growing up in the small town of Panhandle, Texas, the label “disability” was never a word that defined her. Supported by a close-knit community, Chloe competed in everything from competitive cheer and basketball to cross country and track alongside able-bodied peers. That mindset carried with her into college, where her competitive drive and confidence immediately made an impact during her freshman season.

In October 2025, Chloe traveled to India to compete at her first World Para Athletics Championships, facing off against the world’s most elite competition. While Chloe admits that balancing the start of her college career with her first World Championships was “a little challenging and overwhelming,” the experience served as an early representation of her resilience and potential. As only a freshman, she has already reached a level of competition that many collegiate athletes spend years striving toward, signaling a bright future within the SDSU Adapted Athletics program.

Reflecting on the experience, Chloe shared, “Seize opportunities you may never get again and enjoy them to the fullest.” She added, “Going to Worlds shows me that my goals can be reached if you put in the time, hard work, and have the determination.” Those lessons have only strengthened her motivation moving forward.

With her freshman year serving as a glimpse into further competitive excellence, Chloe has her sights firmly set on the LA 2028 Paralympic Games. Her goals for the remainder of the season are focused on continuous growth, refining her technique in the 100m and 200m.

At SDSU, Chloe has found more than just a place to train. She has found a team, a community, and a program that supports her pursuit of excellence on and off the track, embodying the spirit and future of SDSU Adapted Athletics.

SPOTLIGHT FEATURE:STRETCH AFFECT

As an official partner of SDSU Adapted Athletics, Stretch Affect is a key contributor to the support system behind our athletes’ performance and recovery. Based in San Diego, Stretch Affect centers its work on holistic movement health by blending performance training, recovery services, and individualized movement support.

Stretch Affect’s team has been working closely with our program for the past two years, elevating the standard of training and wellness within our program by providing specialized care tailored to the unique needs of adaptive athletes.

Stretch Affect generously provides our athletes with high-level physical therapy and performance care at no cost. These individualized sessions help our athletes improve their athletic performance and recovery. Their approach aligns closely with our mission to support athletes at the highest level, while addressing the unique needs that adaptive athletes often face in both training and recovery.

Their continued commitment to SDSU Adapted Athletics has created real impact for our athletes and we’re grateful to highlight them in this month’s external newsletter!

SUPPORT OUR ATHLETES

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 program expenses, including college scholarships, competition and travel expenses, and adaptive equipment. There are multiple 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

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 major supporters: