Seventeen-year-old Ryan Chalmers, of Churchville, continues his quest for the 2008 Paralympics (Olympics for individuals with disabilities) as he heads to the National Junior Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Houston, Texas in late March and the International Wheelchair Basketball Championship in Brisbane, Australia in April. Following his gold medal winning success as a member of TEAM USA at the 2005 Junior World Games for Athletes with Disabilities (where as the youngest member of the team he played in every game, including the All-Star Game), Ryan had the honor of being asked to play on the Baltimore, Maryland Bennett Blazers Junior Wheelchair Basketball Team, which is a member of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA). Chalmers has been traveling back and forth between home and Baltimore almost every weekend since September 2005 to participate in practices and games. This year, he has the distinction of being one of eight athletes, out of the entire Jr. NWBA, to be chosen to be a member of TEAM USA and attend the International Wheelchair Basketball Championship games. Junior teams are comprised of individuals 16-22 years old. For the past eight years, Ryan, who has spina bifida, has developed his natural abilities by playing wheelchair basketball locally with the SportsNet Rochester Rockets. The Rockets gave him a firm foundation in wheelchair basketball skills and techniques. "My hope is that other people with disabilities who want to compete and participate in sports will realize that these opportunities exist and will come out and participate," Ryan says. "I would love to have more local competitors. Our Rochester team could use more players because several of our athletes are aging out." Chalmers also excels in track and field, having participated in both since he was six years old as a member of the Rochester Easter Seal Rookies. Besides playing on the TEAM USA Wheelchair Basketball Team at the 2005 Junior World Games for Athletes with Disabilities, Chalmers also was on TEAM USA for track and field winning several silver and bronze medals in a variety of events. In July 2006, he will be going to Dublin, Ireland to participate in the Junior World Championships in Track and Field. He will also be traveling to Grand Cayman to get his certification in scuba diving in the next few months. Chalmers and his family feel it's imperative to get the message out that without the opportunities and support from local organizations that provide sports for youth with disabilities, the achievements he is accomplishing may not have been possible. "Ryan has had a unique opportunity to travel the world, and we are very grateful to the numerous organizations and sponsors that have helped make it possible. It's important that other people with disabilities realize that these programs exist in our area. The Easter Seals Rochester Rookies and SportsNet Rochester Rockets have been a major part in Ryan's life," says Gregg Chalmers, Ryan's father. Chalmers, a junior at Churchville-Chili High School, recently received the NWBA National Academic All-American Award for academics and sports. According to his father, colleges already have their eyes on Ryan. "It's exciting that several new doors of opportunity are opening for Ryan. He is starting to receive calls encouraging his application to various colleges. Several of these universities offer sports scholarships for their wheelchair basketball teams and track and field programs. The experience of organizing and managing his studies around his aggressive travel schedule has really developed Ryan's level of independence and responsibility," says Gregg Chalmers. Among those who have helped with funding support for the trips are: Siewert Equipment Company, the Rochester Easter Seals, SportsNet, and Greater Rochester Amateur Athletic Federation; and businesses including: Paychex, The Glue Factory Gift Shop, Heluva Good Foods, Metro Foot Care and Associates, Monroe Medi-Trans, Birds Eye Foods, and the Churchville Lions Club. March 26, 2006 |
