New Vision High students explore adaptive sports with Paralympic champs

POST FALLS — New Vision High School students gained a new perspective Wednesday afternoon during an exercise in empathy and Paralympic spirit.

For many, it was their first time sitting in a wheelchair. For all, it was an adventure in mobility as they worked under the direction of ParaSport Spokane founder Theresa Skinner and with the guidance of Paralympic champions Isaiah Rigo and Chelsea McClammer to explore adaptive sports.

"It's not as easy as it looks," sophomore Scarlet Haines said as she and her schoolmates were tasked with sprinting and dribbling in specialized basketball wheelchairs.

"Honestly, this is really impressive that people can do this so well," she said. "Out of anything, this has got to require more skill than actual basketball itself."

New Vision senior Zabre Terrell-Williams said she had been in a regular wheelchair before, but the basketball wheelchair was a new experience.

"Nothing can stop you, not even disabilities," she said. 

The students rolled through the court of the Post Falls Boys and Girls Club Jordan Johnson Clubhouse, experimenting with forward and backward motion, fast turnarounds and friendly games of basketball. If one of their schoolmates struggled during the relays, they chanted their names and cheered them on.

"It's new," senior Chris Benboe said. "My four years going here this was our first time doing this. It's very fun. I play basketball on the team here, so it's very much different. I'm used to dribbling, but then you can't really dribble so you adapt a lot."

He said he enjoyed the collective experience as he and his classmates took to a new mode of mobility.

"We're more of a family, so instead of everybody walking around, we're in wheelchairs," he said. 

McClammer, of Airway Heights, won two silver medals and one bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Paralympics. She became the youngest member of Team USA when she competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing at 14 years old.

"I'm the youngest in history for track and field," she said.

She said it was really cool to see the New Vision students experiencing wheelchair sports.

"I wish my high school did it, so it means a lot that they're even giving it a shot and getting out there," she said. 

Rigo, of Cheney, also became a young star when he was selected as the youngest member of Team USA for the 2013 International Paralympic Committee World Championships at age 14. He came in seventh when he competed in the Paralympic Games in Tokyo in 2020: 100-meter T52 — Men, 1,500-meter T52 — Men and 400-meter T52 - Men.

He said he hoped the New Vision students had fun as they became more aware of sports that are available for people with disabilities. He said he also hopes that as they are out and about and meet people with disabilities, this experience will give them a connection. Wheelchair basketball can be a conversation starter, he said.

"It's a good catalyst for them to be a little more social with people with disabilities, which is a win for everybody," Rigo said. "This is why we do these things so, one, they feel comfortable around people with disabilities — we're not going to bite, we don't have a disease, we won't infect you — so it opens that door, which is fantastic."

ParaSport Spokane is a nonprofit that provides training and recreational opportunities for youth and adults with physical disabilities that promote success, self-worth and independence. ParaSport Spokane uses adaptive sports as a catalyst for life. 

Executive Director Skinner said it was impressive to see the way New Vision students got out of their comfort zones.

"It says a lot about the school, about the teachers and a lot about the culture that's here that embraces that bravery," Skinner said. "To do something you've never done before is really hard in middle school and high school. I'm just so impressed with the respect they've shown for our athletes, for the equipment and the respect for the experience. It's pretty phenomenal."

    Sophomore Scarlet Haines tries to dribble while moving down court in a basketball wheelchair Wednesday as New Vision High students work with Paralympic champs at the Boys and Girls Club in Post Falls.
  

    New Vision High School freshman Ethan Barton, right, wheels toward Principal Thomas Staples during a wheelchair basketball exercise Wednesday at the Post Falls Boys and Girls Club.
  

    From left, ParaSport Spokane founder Teresa Skinner and Paralympians Chelsea McClammer and Isaiah Rigo discuss specialized wheelchairs for adaptive sports Wednesday before inviting New Vision students to join them on the floor.
  

    Senior Chuy Soto, left, shoots for a hoop from a specialized basketball wheelchair Wednesday as his schoolmates cheer him on.