11
racing. UA Adaptive Athletics has sent a total of 33 athletes to the Paralympic Games, including 11 in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and has won a number of national titles, making the program the most successful and comprehensive collegiate-based program in the country.
DRC’s adaptive fitness center supports the fitness and training goals of wheelchair athletes and disabled community members. In addition to UA athletes, the gym is utilized by more than 50 disabled Tucson community members.
Generous donations and fundraising allow the DRC to award competitive scholarships to promising student athletes from around the globe. The program provides funding for travel, equipment and apparel, in addition to the facilities and athletic resources available. Jim Click’s Run ‘N’ Roll 8K Race and
3K Fun Run is the largest fundraising event for the program. The event has occurred the first Sunday of October since 1981. The next race is scheduled for October 1, 2017 on the UA Mall.
Increasing community awareness of adaptive sports is one of the many goals of UA Adaptive Athletics. To help aid their mission, the program has sponsored Juniors Active in Wheelchair Sports, an athletic program for children in the community ages 5 to 17 with disabilities. The purpose of the program is to get children active and introduce them to adaptive sports. Children are given the opportunity to improve their wheelchair handling skills and experience individual and team recreational sports.
The Disability Resource Center is a tax-deductible 501c3 organization through the UA Foundation. Donations to the program can be submitted online on the UA Foundation website.