Our 20th Anniversary Our 20th Anniversary
Our 20 th Anniversary
1993 – 2013 World t. e. a. m. sports has always been about our participating athletes. Since our formal chartering as a non-profit corporation in 1993, our organization has worked with an impressive number of disabled and able-bodied individuals of all ages and backgrounds.
Chairman and founder James Benson was deeply influenced as a high school student in suburban Chicago by classmate Ricky Prine. Though disabled by congenital birth defects and a wheelchair user, Prine did not allow his disabilities keep him from enjoying life and participating in athletic events.“ He had the best attitude of any individual I’ ve ever encountered,” said Benson.“ I’ ve never met a person who had a more joyous outlook on life than this severely disabled young man.”
Following Prine’ s death at age 24, Benson decided to celebrate his friend’ s life rather than mourning his passing.“ I think maybe it would be a good thing to tell the story of the Ricky Prines of the world and give individuals like that an opportunity to have more of an opportunity in life,” he recalled.
Photos:( Previous page) World T. E. A. M. Sports creates challenging and inspiring events for disabled and able-bodied participants. Events such as Adventure TEAM Challenge( Top-left), the Soldiers to the Summit climb of Nepal’ s 20,075-foot Lobuche East in 2010( Center-left), and the Sea to Shining Sea cross-country ride in 2010( Top-right, right and bottom) have changed the lives of the participating athletes, sponsors, volunteers and spectators.
Photographs by Peter Wayne( Top-left), Johnck Media( Center-left), and Austin Smithard( All other photos),
World T. E. A. M. Sports is the result of Benson’ s determination to provide opportunities for the disabled to excel, to participate in sporting events and to enjoy life. Working with colleagues like Stephen Whisnant, our first executive director, Benson and the organization began creating inspiring events or disabled and able-bodied participants. Over the next two decades, events that literally circled the world helped elevate the organization to greater heights.
Yet, it is the participating athletes who make World T. E. A. M. Sports the organization it is today. From disabled veterans like Bill Czyzewski, Eric Frazier, Christopher Frost, Katherine Ragazzino, Henry Riley, Chad Jukes, Steve Baskis, Gregory Gadson, Nicolette Maroulis and John Szczepanowski, to disabled civilians like Gina Utegg, Erik Weihenmayer, Clarissa Pozgaj, Bob Vogel, Sarah Will, Jerry Carroll, Topher Downham, Rory McCarthy and Steve Ackerman, World T. E. A. M. Sports understands the leadership and inspiration these athletes can provide when offered the opportunity. In our organization’ s name, the acronym“ T. E. A. M.” stands for“ The Exceptional Athlete Matters.” In 2013 and beyond, let’ s expand the realm together.
46 World T. e. a. m. Sports 2012 Annual Review 47