 | | A Summer of Exceptional Athletes
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| | | Van Brinson, President/CEO |
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Welcome to the second edition of "Be Exceptional," a World T.E.AM. Sports newsletter. This issue highlights several highly unique, inclusive and adaptive events our team of staff and volunteers produced this past summer and early autumn. Enjoy!
In August, Coastal Team Challenge, sponsored by TimeCapital, American Portfolios, Independent Group Home Living and DiCarlo Food Services, brought together teams of developmentally and physically disabled and able-bodied athletes for a two-day, 22-nautical mile, non-competitive sea kayak journey along the beautiful coast of Long Island, New York. In early September, Adventure Team Challenge, New York, paired developmentally-disabled teens and young adults from New York and New Jersey with able-bodied coaches in spirited team competition held in New York's Catskill Mountains. Sponsored by American Portfolios and The Center for Discovery, this inclusive Challenge provided an opportunity for these adaptive athletes to solve sporting challenges and enjoy the power of teamwork. Mid-September, Adventure Team Challenge, Washington, D.C., was held just outside of the city at the scenic Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park along the Potomac River, just west of Washington. Participating teens were matched with able-bodied athletes. Together, the two-person teams undertook outdoor activities that included canoeing, off-road bicycling and hiking. Sponsored by Dralla Foundation, SUBWAY of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Edible Arrangements and Best Buddies, the event hosted nearly 40 athletes with disabilities, Peer Buddies, and volunteers under beautiful late summer skies. Weeks later, Adventure Team Challenge, Colorado, supported through partnerships with American Portfolios, Audubon Orthotic & Prosthetic Services, Devens Recycling Center, Ernst & Young, James Benson, LIM Innovations, Napier Park Global Capital, Penske Truck Rental, Presidential Worldwide Transportation, Rutgers University - Department of Athletics, Sila Solutions Group, and Timberline Tours, celebrated its tenth year and brought in 50 athletes from across the country. In Colorado's high desert west of Grand Junction, disabled and able-bodied athletes joined together for three days of spirited team competition and camaraderie. These events serve one purpose: To meet our mission to Change Lives Through Sports. I invite you to view our extensive gallery of photos from each event on our Flickr site. None of these events would have been possible without the generosity and support of all our sponsors and individual fundraisers. In 2015, for every dollar raised, 89 cents went directly into programs that help realize our mission. 2016 is in-line to follow this percentage. Please review our financials and learn more about our essential supporters on our website. As we look toward 2017, we will focus on stewarding your dollars to create world-class, fully-inclusive events that Change Lives Through Sports. To help us meet our mission, your donation is essential. Please help us by visiting our donation page. And as always, thank you!
Van P. Brinson President/CEO World T.E.A.M. Sports |
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World T.E.A.M. Sports and Dralla Foundation's Adventure Team Challenge, Washington D.C. (with additional support from Subway and Edible Arrangements) athletes pause to greet the camera during a day of hiking, biking and canoeing along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park on September 17, 2016.
Click on photo to see more Adventure Team Challenge, Washington D.C.! |
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ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT Zack Bastian: An Endless Ability "I hadn't done a lot of mountain biking," says Zack Bastian sheepishly, "and there I was on a single-track mountain biking trail, with high grass on either side of me, trying to physically and technically control this new equipment. I kept veering off into the grass, rolled down a ten-foot embankment and ended up in the Colorado River, holding onto some branches, one leg loosely attached to the hand cycle. It was kind of scary and it was kind of funny, too." | | | Zack Bastian, Team Endless Abilities adaptive athlete, rows to the finish line at World T.E.A.M. Sports Adventure Team Challenge, Colorado, September 22- 25, 2016. |
How one handles the unknown and is saved (bike and all) from the cold rapids of the Colorado River involves teamwork. "I looked up into the brush and saw a hand, grabbed and realized it was my teammate Alex," explains Zack. Within seconds, another teammate, Will, had found a thin strap, lassoed it around Zack and began pulling him out. "It was so painful but we just yelled, 'one, two, three,' and then they yanked. In a few seconds I was out of the water." Zack pauses and then laughs: "It gets better. The bike was gone, under a bridge, through a tunnel and at the bottom of a small waterfall. But we got that back too, as a team." Zack, Will Humphrey, Bradley Johnson, Alex Figueroa and Leslie Kindling competed on the "Endless Abilities" team this year at Adventure Team Challenge, Colorado at Highline Lake State Park in Loma, Colorado. The three-day, multi-outdoor-sport is the only one of its kind and is fully sanctioned by the U.S. Adventure Race Association. In its tenth year now, the event attracts athletes from across the country to compete in outdoor challenges such as hiking, mountain biking, rock climbing and rappelling, and white water rafting in teams of five -- three able-bodied athletes, and two adaptive athletes, one of whom must use a wheelchair. Click here for full article... |
ADVENTURE TEAM CHALLENGE, WASHINGTON, D.C.: A Conversation with Karen Glasser Regional Director Best Buddies Capital Region On September 17, 2016, World T.E.A.M. Sports partnered with Best Buddies Capital Region to produce its fourth Adventure Team Challenge, Washington, D.C. Presenting sponsor, D.C.-based Dralla Foundation, teamed with sponsors SUBWAY of the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and Edible Arrangements to provide generous funding and in-kind support. | | | | Karen Glasser, front, facing away from camera, reaches over to join the kick-off for Adventure Team Challenge, Washington DC. | |
Recently, World T.E.A.M. Sports spoke with Best Buddies Regional Director, Karen Glasser, who participated in the event with several Best Buddies volunteers and staff members. World T.E.A.M. Sports: Karen, thank you for taking the time to speak. How did Best Buddies Capital Region got involved with this year's Adventure Team Challenge, Washington D.C., event? Karen Glasser: A Best Buddies staff member, Jon Brideau, [who participates in WTS' Face of America event each year] runs our cycling events and he introduced us to Van Brinson and Sarah Bell at WTS, noting they wanted to partner with us for an adaptive, outdoor endurance event for our participants with disabilities. After one conversation with them, we knew we would be thrilled to be a part of it.
WTS: What got you excited about this particular event and did it meet your expectations?
KG: We are always looking for new opportunities to offer our participants, and we knew this was going to be a one-of-kind of event we couldn't pass up! That we were able to match able-bodied Pee r Buddies with kids with disabilities was extremely effective. It was not an easy course, but with teamwork, everyone was able to complete the course.Click here for full article... |
| World T.E.A.M. Sports News
Board of Directors
Fred Hoffman, Managing Director, Business Head, Napier Park Global Capital New York, New York Kevin McCarthy, Senior VP/Lead Product Specialist, Hilton Capital Management Garden City, New York Kelly Nagel, Vice President, Development, Aimco, Bethesda, Maryland
Advisory Board
Lauren Eden, Director of Business Development, PBE Group, Washington, D.C.
Frank Lombardi, Assistant to the CEO, Independent Group Home Living
East Quogue, New York
World T.E.A.M. Sports also thanks Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling for his long-time service as an Advisory Board member. The Lt. Gen. retired from the Advisory Board this summer. His expertise and support remains invaluable to our organization. We thank him for his service and wish him luck in his future endeavors.
2017 Event Date Information
Face of America: April 28-30, 2017, Washington, D.C. to Gettysburg and Valley Forge to Gettysburg.
Important Face of America dates to remember: - October 17, 2016: Adaptive athlete online qualification questionnaire opens
- November 7, 2016: Registration/fundraising site opens for all categories except adaptive athletes and caregivers
- December 19, 2016: Selected adaptive athletes notified by email
- January 4, 2017: Adaptive athlete/caregiver registration opens
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World T.E.A.M. Sports relies on you to allow us pursue our mission of Changing Lives Through Sports. Your generosity provides us with the means to continue to grow and to be able to offer a wide variety of events for children, youth and adults.
Your Gift Counts!
You may also sign up to give a monthly here:
World T.E.A.M. Sports is a not-for-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service
and so to the extent allowable by the IRS, your gift is tax-deductible.
Our federal tax identification number is 56-1827893.
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Kayak team father and son, Ryan (left) and Matt Kansy, adjust their adaptive equipment off the coast of Long Island at the Coastal Team Challenge this past August.
Click on the photo to see the full gallery! |
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