WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — Making sports more inclusive is the name of the game for Adaptive Sports Iowa.
They provide opportunities for people of all ages with physical disabilities to participate in both competitive and recreational sports. One of the many activities they offer is wheelchair tennis lessons.
"It's always fun to see people just trying it out for the first time and realizing how much, like even specifically like a sports wheelchair, how much fun it is and it's very freeing," said Director Hannah Bowman.
Some people take to adaptive sports pretty easily, like Joel Fini.
"The big part of it is chair movement and things," Fini said. "You know, I've been in a chair for 30 years now, so that part comes easy. It was just learning the game itself."
Despite having no prior tennis experience, he was able to catch on quickly and now even competes in tournaments.
"These kinds of opportunities weren't available ten years ago," Fini said. "So, it's really nice to see everything we have going on here."
For others, it's taken a bit more time to adjust. Mary Helen Biller was born with spina bifida, a condition that affects the spine.
While her mobility is limited, she's still able to walk. Not having experience with a wheelchair before made learning to play a bit more challenging, but she didn't let that stop her.
"I had to learn how to maneuver that and sometimes I do still kind of get my fingers caught every once in a while," Biller said. "It's a lot of fun and I love this group."
While they may have initially come just for tennis lessons, they're walking away with so much more -- confidence and a community.
"It's not just the physical," Biller said. "It's the mental. It's the emotional health. It's an uplifting thing. It makes you feel like, 'Hey, I accomplished something', and it makes you feel like you actually matter."
Adaptive Sports Iowa also offers other sports like baseball, basketball and track and field. They even a have a RAGBRAI team.
For more information about Adaptive Sports Iowa's programs, click here.