The Adaptive Sports Foundation’s Race Team is a close knit group that have spent years training, competing and supporting each other.  When the pandemic hit and required everyone to quarantine, ASF Race Team members and coaches were forced to cut their snowsports season short.

However, within a couple weeks, the team organized thanks to the efforts of volunteer coaches Mary, Sandy and Sadie, a virtual weekly Zoom workout.  In addition to the weekly workouts, the team also competed in the Special Olympics of New York Sports (SONY) Season at Home Fitness Competition of Champions.

The SONY Sports Season at Home Fitness Competition of Champions was created as a result of the statewide SONY Games being canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The at home event was a safe way for SONY athletes compete against their fellow athletes from across the state.  Athletes and coaches trained and competed at home virtually each week.

From the ASF, eight athletes and three coaches joined the SONY competition and started training virtual two to three days a week.  The competition consisted of 12 events, which each athlete picked four events to complete in.  The team trained very hard and for many weeks.

The team trained virtually using Zoom and met every Monday, Tuesday (for NYSO events) and on Thursday (for workout with the whole team). On Thursdays, one athlete would be lead the workout for the whole team.  See below for a list of athletes that competed in a variety of events.

“In this crazy time that we are living in now, I want to remind people why ASF is a special place.  That with a little help, we can achieve almost anything.  The ASF race team is a great example of what we can do, even when we cannot meet face to face.  I would like to congratulate each of the athletes that have worked hard to complete in the first ever Sport Season at Home from Special Olympics.  You are all winners.” – Mary Bozzone, ASF Volunteer Race Team Coach

“We would like to congratulate members of the ASF Race Team who competed in the SONY’s first ever Sports Season at Home Fitness Competition for Champions and for adapting to our new normal.  You are empowering all of us through adaptive sports!” – Cherisse Young, Director of Development

Check out ASF Race Team member, Zach Elder’s thoughts on Virtual Training during the pandemic.

 

Building on the success of the ASF Race Team’s virtual workouts, the team at the ASF is currently seeking funding and working on developing the ASF “Move Together Apart” virtual adaptive fitness program.  For more information on how you can support this program, please visit ASF Virtual Adaptive Fitness Programs.

ASF RACE TEAM – Special Olympics Sports Season at Home participants

• Terence Burke, High knee step, line jump, high plank
• Patrick Carroll, Push up, high knee step, line jump, stair step
• Matthew Colella, Push up, 10 step shuttle run, stair step, high plank
• Zach Elder, High knee step, line jump, stair step, high plank
• Mark Huang, Push up, 25 step race, line jump, stair step, high plank
• Heather Huber, High knee step, line jump, stair step, high plank
• Douglas Rogers, 25 step race, line jump, stair step
• Jennifer Romano, 25 step race, ball dribble, high knee step, line jump