SportsAbility is Fun!

SportsAbility is all about enjoying the athletics and great outdoors using your abilities. It’s the main focus of the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association (FDOA), which sponsors SportsAbility events in different parts of the state each year. The SportsAbility Expo was held in Tallahassee on April 8 at Tallahassee Community College.

The SportsAbility Expo had basketball, soccer, tennis, martial arts, and all kinds of other games and activities for all ages and all abilities. The arts were represented, too. The Pyramid Studios Electric Band played a robust musical set. The band’s horn section added a new dimension to the sound. There was also singing to entertain the crowds.

APD hosted exhibit table because it was a great opportunity to meet and greet people with disabilities. The expo was only one day of Tallahassee’s SportsAbility weekend, which also included an outdoor day on April 10 at Ochlockonee River State Park near Sopchoppy.

Consumer Directed Care Plus Deputy Director Pat Rush and her daughter spent the day with at the Ochlockonee River State Park.  “What a wonderful event! My daughter said it made her feel like she was back at camp- and camp was the only place she really felt an equal to everyone else.

They had jet ski’s, horseback riding, sit down water skiing, archery, a shooting range, kayaks, canoes, scuba diving, a rock wall, sailing, paddle boarding, music and food. They accepted anyone with any type of disability and helped the individuals participate in any or all of the activities.

The staff they had was amazing. They were patient and kind and respectful and they did whatever they could to ensure the person had a fun, safe experience.

My daughter rode the horse, went on the Jet Ski and was pulled behind a motor boat sitting on what looked like a small padded couch. She had a blast. And they didn’t just putt along! There were smiles all around. I didn’t see one unhappy person there.

Many people were asking how they could participate in these events all throughout the year. The FDOA founder, David Jones, said they used to have a grant through the Adults with Disabilities waiver but that has been taken away.

I would recommend the event to individuals of all abilities. It must have taken a lot of planning to put it all together. They did an awesome job!”

SportsAbility’s next stop will be the Family Café conference, June 10 through 12 in Orlando. Visit www.fdoa.org for more information on FDOA and SportsAbility.

Communications Director Melanie Mowry Etters and Kimberly Tharpe manned the APD exhibit at Sportsability.