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ADAPTED ATHLETICS SUMMER 2024 NEWSLETTER

YOU MAKE IT HAPPEN

Video Transcript

Adapted Athletics Thank You Video Transcript

-   Photo of eight members of the Adapted Athletics program posing together. They hold an ITA National Wheelchair Tennis Championships trophy. A circle with the words “2023-2024 Adapted Athletics SDSU” animates on and off. Upbeat music plays.

-   Photo of eight members of the Adapted Athletics tennis team pose in front of a “Welcome to U.S. Paralympics Track and Field National Championship” banner.

-   Photo of Saad Elhallak swinging a tennis racket at a tennis ball at the Roll ‘Round to See event.

-   Photo of Humoody Smith and Rolland Slade running at a track event.

-   Photo of a student setting volleyball while playing sitting volleyball with other students.

-   Photo of a student dribbling a basketball with other students around him on the basketball court at ARC Fest.

-   Photo of Ryotaro Sakaguchi hitting a tennis ball during a match.

-   Photo of Marco Borges, Coach Jasmine Burell, and Anthony Pone smiling at a track and field event.

-   Photo of Anthony Pone, Parker Harvey, Michelle Cross, Coach Greg Hasterok, Nelya Schasfoort, and Parker Olenick smiling at the CREED Showcase event.

-   Photo of twelve members of the Adapted Athletics program under an Associated Students E-Z UP tent at the track and field event.

-   Photo of Manny Gomez hitting a tennis ball during a match.

-   Photo of Humoody Smith, Coach Rolland Slade, Michelle Cross, and Parker Harvey at the Desert Challenge event.

-   Photo of Ryotaro Sakaguchi and Manny Gomez during a tennis match.

-   Photo of Michelle Cross speaking into a microphone at the CREED Showcase event. Anthony Pone, Parker Harvey, Coach Greg Hasterok, Nelya Schasfoort, and Parker Olenick sit with her.

-   Photo of a large group at the Roll ‘Round to See event. Slowly widens out and fades to white.

-   Text fades onto the screen saying “Adapted Athletics thanks you for all of your continued support of our athletes and programs. You make it happen!” Adapted Athletics logo and Aztec Recreation logo onto the screen. Music fades out.

Adapted Athletics athletes and supporting team members posing together in front of Hepner Hall, San Diego State University.

LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

Creating tomorrow's leaders through the paralympic dream

Summer is here, and there is no better place to pursue the Paralympic dream than in San Diego! This summer, as we approach the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, a select few athletes will continue that path as they prove to the world why they deserve to be respected as elite athletes. Here at the SDSU Adapted Athletics program, we help develop adaptive athletes to be the very best they can be as people, professionals, and athletes. We do this by following and exemplifying our C.R.E.E.D. which stands for Commitment, Respect, Excellence, Empowerment, and Diversity and is designed to act as a guide toward improving our positive impact in the world. I would like to continue the breakdown of these guiding principles by discussing our commitment to Excellence.

I find myself drawn to a timeless analogy that resonates deeply with our pursuit of excellence: the art of forging a mighty blade. In the hands of a skilled blacksmith, raw materials are transformed through heat, pressure, and precision into a tool of unparalleled strength and sharpness. Similarly, in our quest to develop elite adaptive athletes, we must approach the process with the same level of dedication, craftsmanship, and attention to detail.

Creating tomorrow’s leaders through the Paralympic dream is not for the faint of heart. Just as a blacksmith meticulously selects the finest materials, we too must identify and nurture the raw talent within each of our athletes. Every individual under our guidance possesses unique strengths, abilities, and potential waiting to be unlocked. It is our responsibility to recognize and cultivate these qualities, providing the necessary support, resources, and guidance to help them flourish.

And just as a master blacksmith takes pride in their creation, we also take pride in the achievements of our athletes. Each victory, large or small, is a testament to their hard work, dedication, and unwavering commitment to excellence. Whether they stand atop the podium or simply cross the finish line, their success is a reflection of the countless hours of training, sacrifice, and determination that have brought them to this moment.

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for your continued support and commitment to our shared vision of excellence. Together, we are forging a new generation of elite adaptive athletes who will empower and lead by example. With your continued support, I have no doubt that our program will continue to thrive and make a lasting impact for years to come.

Until next time, Go Aztecs!

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

SUPPORT OUR ATHLETES

Support us as we empower adaptive 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 receives financial support from Associated Students, it 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

Adaptive Wheelchair Tennis Athletes participating in Adapted Athletics Field Day, 2024

RECENT & UPCOMING EVENTS

RECENT EVENTS

Adaptive athletes participating in seated volleyball.

Roll ‘Round To See: PT For You and Me
March 8, 2024

In collaboration with our student organization, Adapted Sports Physical Therapy, over 100 attendees joined us at Hepner Hall to participate in various adaptive sports and physical therapy activations. Participants took part in sitting volleyball, wheelchair tennis, field games, and more! Big thank you to CAF, Stretch Affect, Navy Wounded Warriors, and Move United for coming to support.

LOCATION: SDSU - Hepner Hall

Humoody Smith and his guide running in the 2024 Paralympic Track and Field Championships.

2024 Paralympic Track and Field National Championships
March 15-17, 2024

The Para Track and Field team trained hard all year for the U.S. Paralympic Track and Field National Championships. Michelle Cross, Parker Harvey, Ismael Estrada, Max Rohn, and Humoody Smith all competed against the best in the nation during this weekend-long event. Athletes from all over the country, including high school, collegiate and professional levels, competed against each other to earn the honor of becoming part of Team USA. The team took home the Gold and Silver for throws and 3 more Silvers for sprints. This was just the beginning of a successful season for the Track and Field Team.

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

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Event participants learning about the Adapted Athletics Program. event

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Event with University Relations and Development
March 20, 2024

Our program had the extraordinary opportunity to showcase the stories of our adaptive athletes to a 60+ person audience. Members were educated on the history of paralympic sports and the donor-supported Adapted Athletics program. This was followed by wheelchair basketball and other activities on the Aztec Recreation courts.

LOCATION: San Diego State University

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

2024 ITA National Wheelchair Tennis Championships
April 10-13, 2024

The Wheelchair Tennis team battled the best teams in the country all week at the ITA National Wheelchair Tennis Championships in both singles and doubles. Here they competed against 10+ collegiate teams from across the country. After going undefeated in both categories until the final round and then competing in three exciting final matches, the team cemented itself as the #2 team in the country.

LOCATION: USTA National Campus, Orlando, FL

UPCOMING EVENTS

A newly recruited para-athlete posing for a photo.

Recruitment Day
November 1, 2024

In alignment with the Challenged Athlete Foundation weekend, we are set to hold our recruitment day on Friday, November 1. Prospective students and athletes are taken on a campus tour as well as an Adapted Athletics-specific tour of the highly utilized facility spaces. This is a great opportunity for young, adaptive, sport talent to get a feel for what the program and SDSU have to offer and why they should choose this program to develop as a student and high-level athlete!

LOCATION: San Diego State University

Para-athlete performing a flat bench press with their spotter.

Lift-A-Thon
November 16, 2024

The third annual Lift-A-Thon is scheduled for Saturday, November 16th at the Aztec Recreation Center. This event puts your true strength to the test in various lifting competitions including the para bench press. Students and Aztec Recreation members are able to join. With each rep, more money is donated to the program. Help us hit a new record!

LOCATION: Aztec Recreation Center

MEET OUR NEW ATHLETES

Jaime Baltazar

Jaime Baltazar

  • Sport: Wheelchair Basketball
  • Athlete Status: Recreation Community Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    My recent greatest accomplishment is the Division 2 championship as a head coach, with the NMCSD Wolfpack. The team is predominantly military and it was my third year as coach. To see the progress and growth was very fun and exciting for me.
  • Fun Fact: I’ve been to the top of Machu Picchu in a wheelchair. It was quite the journey.
Max Rohn

Max Rohn

  • Sport: Para Track & Field
  • Athlete Status: Elite Community Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    One of my greatest athletic accomplishments was winning a silver medal at the Para Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. It was a pivotal moment that solidified my passion for the sport and my commitment to representing my country on the international stage.
  • Fun Fact: A fun fact about me is that I love adventure sports. When I'm not training, you can often find me snowboarding, surfing or trying out new activities that challenge my limits.
Humoody Smith

Humoody Smith

  • Sport: Para Track & Field
  • Athlete Status: Elite Community Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    My best track and field accomplishment so far has been two fourth-place finishes at US National championships and being named to the US Paralympic Emerging Elite team.
  • Fun Fact: I play six different musical instruments.
Quinn Waitley

Quinn Waitley

  • Sport: Para Surfing
  • Athlete Status: Recreation Community Athlete
  • Greatest Athletic Accomplishment:
    My greatest accomplishment in my surfing career was in 2017 when I became the first female in the Prone Assist category on the USA Para Surf Team, and I have continued to hold that national title. I recently won my seventh title competing for USA Surfing. Also in 2018, I was the first and only Women's Prone Assist Dukes Oceans Fest Champion.
  • Fun Fact: I come from a very athletic and competitive family of seven girls. I’m also one of four identical Quadruplets. Surfing is the name of the game, but I love skateboarding and dancing as well.

FEATURE:HOPEFUL PARALYMPIC ATHLETES

Michelle Cross performing a deadlift.
Photo Credit: BStrong Media & Arizona Disabled Sports

Paralympic Trials

While campus gets much quieter during the summer months at SDSU, the adapted athletes stay as busy as ever, especially the three that will be heading off to Miramar, Florida to compete in the US Paralympic Track and Field Team Trials. Michelle Cross, Max Rohn, and Parker Harvey will be traveling there in July to compete against athletes from all across the country for a spot on the 2024 Paralympic team. These athletes are already high achieving in their own right, having met the qualifying marks at international paralympic committee (IPC) sanctioned competitions to make it this far, but they continue to push themselves to achieve their ultimate goal, the 2024 Paralympics.

Michelle Cross, a current graduate student studying Rehabilitation Counseling, has qualified to compete in the 100m and 200m Sprint in the T37 classification (cerebral palsy). She is excited about what lies ahead, “I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to compete at the Paralympic Trials. All the work and training I have put in these past 2 years will be worth it. I have been determined to compete at Trials since the last [ones were held] in 2021 and I am grateful to be sharing the track with incredible teammates and competitors.” This won’t be Michelle’s first time representing Team USA. She has also competed in the World Para Athletics Junior Championships in 2017 and 2019, as well as Para PanAmerican Games in 2019 and 2023.

Parker Harvey, an elite student athlete, will be competing on both the track and the field in the 100m Sprint and Javelin in the T47 and F46 classification, respectively (upper limb impairment). He says he is preparing for the trials by, “Trusting my coaches’ process, by following the regimen they made just for me.” When asked what he is looking forward to the most he said, “I'm looking forward to just being at the Trials, it's not very often that I get to be at a paralympic meet with a full heat of people to run against.”

Elite community athlete Max Rohn will also be on the field where he will throw the Discus in the F64 classification (lower limb below the knee impairment). Max has previously competed in the Invictus Games in 2014 and 2016 as well as represented Team USA in the 2023 Para PanAmerican Games where he won a silver medal. When asked how he is preparing for the upcoming Team Trials he said he is, “following a rigorous training schedule that includes both physical conditioning and technical practice. I'm also working closely with my coach to fine-tune my techniques and strategies. Mental preparation is also key, so I'm focusing on visualization and staying positive.”

Making it to the US Paralympic Team Trials is a result of all three athletes’ hard work and determination. This opportunity represents their years of dedication, ability to overcome obstacles and challenges, and skills they have developed with the support of their teammates and coaches. While the athletes continue to train, you can show support by following SDSU’s Adapted Athletics on instagram @sdsuadaptedathletics where they will be sharing updates and a livestream link to the events.

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 or supported us from the start, we are grateful!

A special thank you to our major supporters: