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The Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks hosted a wheelchair basketball tournament in Arlington over the weekend with 20 teams from around the country.
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They were cheered on by Fabian Romo, a Team USA gold medalist from the Paris Paralympic Games.
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Coaches, players, and fans all say they’ve been inspired by the sport.
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The Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks hosted a wheelchair basketball tournament in Arlington over the weekend with 20 teams from around the country.
-
They were cheered on by Fabian Romo, a Team USA gold medalist from the Paris Paralympic Games.
-
Coaches, players, and fans all say they’ve been inspired by the sport.
Texas’ ArlingtonHundreds of children from throughout the nation demonstrated that obstacles need not stand in your way.
What Happened: Scottish Rite and the Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks organized a wheelchair basketball competition for the children.
On Saturday, twenty teams from throughout the nation competed at the Maverick Activity Center at UT-Arlington.
Fabian Romo of Team USA was present to support them. He stated that he hoped his gold medal from the Paralympic Games in Paris would serve as motivation for young people, demonstrating that a wheelchair need not be a hindrance to one’s aspirations.
Romo’s leg was amputated above the knee when he was three years old since he was born without a femur.
“Never knew about adaptive sports or anything,” he replied.
However, he discovered wheelchair basketball when he was fifteen years old.
“I think it completely shaped the person that I am today,” he stated.
And that’s what the children who participated in the event on Saturday are experiencing.
What They’re Saying: Spina bifida was present from birth in Solomon Paresky. About three years ago, the eleven-year-old began playing wheelchair basketball.
He remarked, “It was super fun,” It was somewhat of a novel experience. At first, I was anxious, but as I played more games, I found it to be somewhat simpler.
He now participates in wheelchair tennis as well.
“You get to run about in both sports, which makes it enjoyable. And it’s just more enjoyable than simply cruising around in your wheelchair without doing anything constructive,” he added.
Paresky’s Richardson classmates came to support him.
Fifth-grader Gabe Blessman stated, “You can still play the sports you want to play, whether you have a disability or not.”
Another fifth-grader, McShayne Brown, stated, “They chose to persevere and somehow dribble while they’re in a wheelchair.” “These people, what they are doing is harder than just dribbling while standing up.”
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Paresky s coach, Pam Fontaine, was a 1996 bronze medalist in the Atlanta Paralympics.
“If you have the confidence to be able to do certain skills, and you recognize that, then when they re in a school, that will transfer over. So then they feel comfortable being with able-bodied kids and being able to participate just like they do in a different way,” she said.
The Coach s Backstory:Fontaine did not waste any time getting into the sport after an auto accident put her in a wheelchair at age 16.
“So, I left rehab in November and went to my first wheelchair basketball practice in December. I didn t have time to look back,” she said. “They were all Vietnam vets mainly, and there was me and I couldn t hit the rim, you know, because I was just out of the hospital. And so, I had a lot to learn.”
But Fontaine worked on her skills and got stronger through college.
She finally reached a high enough level that she was picked for the Paralympic team.
Fontaine said playing wheelchair basketball made her stronger.
“It taught me so many life skills. Plus, I saw other people with a similar disability as mine, and I thought to myself, Well if they can do it, why can t I? ” “I said,” she said.
Dig Deeper:The Dallas Junior Wheelchair Mavericks is a nonprofit organization that offers wheelchair basketball opportunities to kids from ages 5 to 18.
To learn more or to get involved, visithttps://www.dallasjuniorwheelchairmavericks.org.
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FOX 4’s Lori Brown interviewed people at Saturday’s basketball tournament in Arlington to gather details for this story.
FOX 4’s Lori Brown interviewed people at Saturday’s basketball tournament in Arlington to gather details for this story.
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