As adaptive sports continue to experience significant growth nationwide thanks to increased accessibility and awareness, the movement has opened the door to new organizations, including North Carolina Adapted Sports (NCAS).
Co-founded in 2022 by two high school friends more than two decades after they graduated, NCAS was launched out of their shared love for cycling and experience living with an amputation.
“The catalyst to create NCAS came from the lack of good access to biking trails in Wake County, North Carolina,” says CEO and Cofounder Wes Hall. “We had grown bored of the only accessible biking on established greenways. We weren’t looking to make the county park trails easier; we just wanted them to be possible.”
As an initial goal, NCAS worked to get bridges widened at Lake Crabtree and Harris Lake County Parks, creating the first accessible off-road cycling park in the state. The organization purchased its first off-road cycle in late 2022 and began to offer scheduled clinics. In 2023, NCAS added adaptive climbing and wheelchair basketball with the donation of nine chairs and a trailer from a dissolved team.
“It’s been a whirlwind for us,” says Hall, who was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at age 15, leading to the amputation of his entire right leg. “Word got out about what we were doing, people got excited, and we’ve been able to get more people active in an inclusive setting.”
In 2024, a $24,996 Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life grant enabled NCAS to purchase four additional wheelchairs for basketball and another off-road handcycle.
“Expanding our capacity to more people is so rewarding and helps build confidence and joy. We want to put as much accessible equipment in people’s hands as possible,” says Hall. “We are not just developing athletes; we are removing barriers and developing active leaders who mentor younger athletes.”
The NCAS basketball team includes students aged six to 18 years old and participate in weekly practices that incorporate conditioning and skill development at the local YMCA.
“I want our players to be seen on the court and recognized for their athleticism. The new equipment is a better fit for some of our athletes,” says Hall. “I’m grateful for the Reeve Foundation’s trust in our ability to reach and help people. It is also incredible for parents to see what their children can do.”
To date, eight people have used the new cycle to ride with friends and family outside the scheduled cycling clinics. Thanks to strong community support, NCAS helped to get an adaptive category added to local cycling races.
“We are changing minds and policies to be more proactive in how to make our world more universally accessible,” says Hall. Last year, NCAS engaged with 44 athletes across 19 different disabilities.
NCAS has also worked to increase its impact well beyond the trails and the court. The organization has hosted lunch and learns with over 250 area healthcare and medical students to promote volunteering, try the equipment and see what is possible.
It is also part of an affinity group of nonprofits representing a cross-section of disability services ranging from other adaptive sports to home resources and career support.
“We are building awareness together,” says Hall. “Even if we don’t offer the resource someone needs, we want to help them find it. For example, a great organization is already doing sled hockey, so we don’t need to add that.”
Hall continues, “There are enough people living with a disability for all programs to be successful and support people in finding what they want to do. We are all working to open doors, and we are so grateful for the Reeve Foundation’s support in continuing to make this possible.”