Breaking Barriers: How Adaptive Sports Are Transforming Lives
Breaking Barriers: How Adaptive Sports Are Transforming Lives
Written by Susi Oettingen
Posted: April 15, 2025. This article was originally shared in our Spring 2025 Newsletter.
My son has a bleeding disorder, and throughout his childhood, we often had to limit his physical activities to keep him healthy. As parents, it was tough to say no to sports he was eager to try. Thankfully, advances in treatment have made it possible for individuals with bleeding disorders to participate in more activities than ever before. However, many in our community still face physical limitations. Recently, I began volunteering for a local organization, the New England Healing Sports Association (NEHSA), which is dedicated to breaking down these barriers and creating new opportunities—and I couldn’t be more inspired by their work!
When I began volunteering with NEHSA, my eyes were opened to a new world. A world that brought people with physical, cognitive, and/or emotional challenges to the outdoors through sports, in this case adaptive hiking, kayaking, and skiing in New Hampshire. I had no idea that there were opportunities for athletes (who might not know they were able to be athletes) and their families or caregivers to experience these sports. Athletes range from amputees, persons recovered from polio or strokes, individuals with cerebral palsy, spina bifida, multiple sclerosis, paraplegia and quadriplegia, visual and/or deaf, persons with developmental disabilities, and even, people with bleeding disorders. As a volunteer, I help when needed, or just company for a hiking or kayaking adventure, and this year, skiing.
NEHSA was first established in 1972 by a group of returning Vietnam war veterans as a weekend adaptive skiing program for veterans with physical disabilities. As the program grew, a small lodge was constructed at Mount Sunapee Resort in Sunapee, New Hampshire. Over the next five decades the program grew to include year-round adaptive sports and adaptive recreation opportunities for veterans and civilians with physical and cognitive disabilities. NEHSA’s mission is to serve individuals and families through adaptive sports, promoting healing and accomplishment. Their mission is similar to the mission of other adaptive sports associations.
In the 2022/2023 session, NEHSA was able to offer 1,248 adaptive sports sessions in northeast Massachusetts, southern and central New Hampshire, and central Connecticut River Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. Additionally, NEHSA welcomed 190 brand new athlete participants and served 137 Veteran athletes. Athletes come from almost all New England States, especially for the skiing program.
If you or a family member has concerns about participating in one of these sports because of medical, physical, or cognitive reasons, talk to someone at NEHSA! The team is amazing and will guide you through their program. Young children, teens, young adults, and adults can participate at any level.
Susi and her husband, Kyle, live in New Hampshire. Their adult son has hemophilia.