A BRIEF HISTORY OF WWS
		OUR MISSION STATEMENT Our programs are dedicated to providing recreational fitness experiences and competitive athletic opportunities for people with mobility impairments. More specifically, our goals are: To promote the concept that physical fitness is essential for everyone; To facilitate independent movement for all people with physical disabilities; To provide outdoor fitness experiences for people with physical disabilities; To promote and improve the skills of athletes with physical disabilities (through local, national and international sports competitions such as the Paralympics); To promote the integration of physically disabled athletes into able-bodied school athletics; To help wheelchair users access a lifestyle that is as active and independent as possible. World Wheelchair Sports is founded, organized and run by people with disabilities. Many of our members are young people who were active in sports and athletics before a traumatic injury made using a wheelchair a necessity. Others were born with disabling conditions or are older persons who have suffered from a stroke or severe arthritis. Whatever the nature of their physical challenge, they discover through our programs the excitement and exhilaration of independent movement. For many of our sailing program participants for instance, there is a notable increase in self-esteem and confidence when they find themselves independently on the water along with able-bodied sailors. Many of our junior wheelchair sports alumni have earned varsity letters in High School sports and have gone on to win Olympic and Paralympic medals. Participation in these healthy activities is often a catalyst for many other positive improvements in the quality of life. OUR HISTORY Since our founding in 1990, our programs have included wheelchair competitions (such as the Prefontaine Wheelchair Mile at the Prefontaine Classic and the Oregon Wheelchair Track Championships), racing camps, fitness clinics, outdoor adventures, sports expos and junior sport camps. In 1995 we expanded our programs to include the first disabled sailing program (disAbled sailOR) in Oregon. In 1998 we began the Wheels In Nature (WiN) program featuring muscle powered outdoor adventures, like kayaking and cross country skiing, Since 2002 WWS has coordinated wheelchair events for the OSAA. The skills learned in our programs help disabled persons compete in the real world and teaches them how to handle challenges throughout their lives. The WWS athletic program has produced many Olympic & Paralympic medalists and numerous world and national records. A statewide equipment pool has been established by World Wheelchair Sports to provide sport wheelchairs to students participating on the team of their school. Youth with physical disabilities seek the same school experience as all students. When the student with a disability is able to join an athletic team of a school, she/he often becomes an inspiration to everyone. We see sports as a way to bring the many diverse sections of our population together. Our athletes and programs have been featured on local and national television shows and in publications such as the Oregonian, the Register Guard, Oregon Cyclist, Runners World, People Magazine, Sport n Spokes, Outside Magazine, Olympian, the Boston Globe and Sports Illustrated. Many of our board members use wheelchairs for their daily mobility and they all realize the importance of recreation and sports for a healthy mind and body. They also recognize that there are very few sporting opportunities presented by disabled adults for disabled kids. Programs like KidsSports and Special Olympics are wonderful but they do not include people who use wheelchairs yet who have no developmental (cognitive) disability. Organizations we have conducted programs for include: the Parks and Recreation Departments of the Cities of Eugene and Portland, Oregon; the Center for Appropriate Transport; Shriners Hospital; The Mesa Arizona Association of Sports for the Disabled; Oregon Disability Sports and the Paralyzed Veterans of America. Major sponsors that have supported us through gifts, grants and in-kind donations include: The Autzen Foundation; The Blanche Fischer Foundation; The Boy Scouts of America; The Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation; Intermediary Services; The Meyer Memorial Trust; REI; The Gordon Wright-Anne Moffet fund of the Oregon Community Foundation; the Eugene Sailing Center; Sportaid; Sunrise Medical; the Triton Yacht Club; Underway, LLC; USA Track and Field; The Umpqua Cow Creek Indian Foundation; United Seating & Mobility; West Marine; the Women's Sports Foundation and Nike.
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