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3rd annual Pasadena Adaptive Sports Festival to be held on Nov. 20
Pasadena Independent Nov 10, 2021
Photo of kid finishing race at a previous Pasadena Adaptive Sports Festival event. | Photo courtesy of the City of Pasadena
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The City of Pasadena in coordination with Triumph Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to improve the lives of people living with disabilities, will be hosting the 3rd annual Pasadena Adaptive Sports Festival. The event will feature over 10 adaptive recreational sporting events that are open to the general public with free participation on Saturday, Nov. 20, at Brookside Park.
The adaptive sports include handcycling, wheelchair rugby, pickleball, beep baseball, tennis, boccia, basketball, archery, and more. Additionally, the event will feature a creative art section and resource fair.
This free adaptive sports festival will introduce adaptive sports, provide learning opportunities to the general public, and showcase individuals with disabilities in a way that the general public does not often see. The festival brings everyone together, of all abilities — able body and disabled alike — to take part in a day of fun activities and games, building a more inclusive community.
“The City of Pasadena is excited to partner with Triumph Foundation to offer this fun and exciting event for our community,” said Brenda Harvey-Williams, City of Pasadena Parks, Recreation and Community Services director. “This is the third of what we hope will be many Pasadena-based events promoting accessible and inclusive sports and fitness opportunities.”
“In 2019, the event attracted close to a thousand participants and really made an impact on everyone who attended. We are so thankful for our partnership with the City of Pasadena,” said Triumph Foundation Founder Andrew Skinner, who suffered a spinal cord injury in November 2004 in a snowboarding accident and founded the organization in 2008. “Events like this give people with disabilities a chance to push the limits of their ability, play games with friends and family on a level playing ground, and enhances their quality of life through the benefit of exercise, sports and fitness.”
When asked about her experience at the 2019 Pasadena Adaptive Sports Festival, Amber Lynn Machowski said, “Being here today has brought me so much joy, more joy than I have felt in the six years since my injury. Honestly, the smile on my face, you haven’t seen it much until you saw it today. I’ve enjoyed every minute of the festival.”
Brookside Park in the Arroyo Seco is a perfect venue for the Adaptive Sports Festival. “The community loves it,” said Cy Estabrook, a member of the Pasadena Disability and Accessibility Commission. Mr. Estabrook, a local Pasadena math teacher, sustained a spinal cord injury from a slip and fall accident that left him paralyzed in 2016.
“After my injury five years ago, I thought I would never be an athlete again. But, through Triumph Foundation’s adaptive recreation program, I have continued my passion for tennis, baseball, cycling, and even learned to play rugby! I love having a Triumph athletic event in my hometown of Pasadena.”
Event attendees must wear masks. Please stay home if you feel sick, even if symptoms are mild.
Triumph is also seeking community partners and volunteers to help support this event. For more information, email info@Triumph-Foundation.org.
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