desert challenge games lane gram, arizona disabled sports mark grant, city of mesa parks, recreation...
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Desert Challenge Games
Lane Gram, Arizona Disabled SportsMark Grant, City of Mesa Parks, Recreation &
Commercial Facilities
• Three-day competition for people ages 6 through adulthood with physical disabilities.
• Physical disabilities include but are not limited to amputation, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, and visual impairment.
• Current competitions include track, field, archery, swimming and powerflifting.
• In it’s inception, the event also included boccia ball, air rifle and pistol and table tennis.
• Qualifying event for athletes to continue to national competitions.
What are the Desert Challenge Games?
Competitions
• Track– Blind– Ambulatory– Wheelchair
Competitions
• Field– Seated throws– Ambulatory– Shot, Discus, Javelin,
Club throw, Long Jump, High Jump
Competitions
• Archery• Swimming• Powerlifting
Background
• The event is hosted by Arizona Disabled Sports and the City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities.
• AzDS is a non-profit organization established in 1989. The organization provides a wide variety of sports and recreation programs for people with all types of disability.
• The success and longevity of the event is due to the developed partnerships.
• City of Mesa• Mesa Public Schools
• Symbius Medical• Grand Canyon State Games• US Paralympics• Disabled Sports USA / War Fighter Sports
Programs• Blaze Sports of America
Partnerships
• First annual event hosted in April of 1990 at Arizona State University Tempe Campus.
• Hosted the Far West Regional Games as part of the Desert Challenge Games in 1991.
• Hosted National Junior Disability Championships (NJDC) in 1997, 2004, and 2012.
• Hosted US Paralympic Track and Field Team Trials in June 2008.
• Hosted the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics Grand Prix event in May 2013.
History of the Event
• First event hosted 7 athletes. The most recent event hosted 225 athletes from 3 countries and 25 states.
• The event began as a grassroots competition for the athletes involved in the local program as well as the City of Tucson adaptive programs.
• The event continues to serve the first time athletes in the local program but will now also draw the top ranked Paralympic athletes to the competition.
• For the past 6 years, the event has been successful in recruiting US Military Veterans and hosts an average of 25 Veterans at each event.
Success
• Organized and consistent event• Reasonable registration fees• Trained officials and volunteers• Great venues
– Host Hotel– Competition Venues
• Event marketing – Web site– Facebook
• Give-aways– T-shirts– Awards
How did we grow the event?
Questions?
Contact Information
• Lane Gram
Arizona Disabled [email protected]
• Mark Grant
City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities
480.644.3651
• www.ArizonaDisabledSports.com• www.DesertChallengeGames.com