Foundation Helps Disabled Athletes Triumph

When Ronnie Dickson crossed the finish line at last year's Gasparilla Distance Classic 5K, he was miserable.

Nearly every step of the 3.1-mile route along Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard was brutal, the former high school athlete says. Still, here he is, a year later, signed up and ready to triple the distance.

What a difference a leg makes.

Dickson, who had his left leg amputated above the knee five years ago, is one of 21 physically challenged Floridians who in the past year were awarded a grant for a sports-friendly limb, wheelchair or assistance from the state chapter of the Challenged Athletes Foundation.

Dickson used his grant for an Ossur brand running knee and foot that cost nearly $4,000, which means he doesn't have to use his everyday walking leg for today's 15K. The result: significantly less pain and what's expected to be a decent running time. He says without it, he wouldn't be competing.

"There's no way, as a 21-year-old college student with a mom who is a teacher and a dad who is retired, I could ever do all this," says Dickson, who also competes in rock-climbing competitions and is training for April's St. Anthony Triathlon.

Getting people like Dickson active in any and all sports is the inspiration behind the foundation, created in 1994 in California and launched in the Tampa Bay area two years ago.

Disabled children and adults who are able to run, swim, bike and play are more likely to have the confidence to succeed in other aspects of their life, says Lew Friedland, founder of Challenged Athletes' Florida chapter. "Kids who play sports and adults who play sports have a better chance," he says.

Dickson makes a great example. Despite facing life-changing surgery at 17, he is enrolled at St. Petersburg College, studying prosthetics, and is a nationally-ranked competitive rock climber. "A lot of the things I accomplish in life definitely stem from my athletics," he says.

The Challenged Athletes Foundation's primary focus is to provide individual grants, 625 nationally for a total of $1.1 million last year. It also holds training workshops for runners relearning their gait, advocates for challenged-athlete participation, and provides a slew of race-day volunteers.

Also, the Florida chapter last year resurrected the wheelchair division at the Gasparilla Distance Classic. The $10,000 purse lured elite wheelchair athletes back to a race that hadn't recognized that specific division for a decade.

Thirty-five athletes participated in the 2008 wheelchair 15K, which ended with a photo finish. More than 50 athletes, including 11 paralympians, are expected to compete in today's race, which starts five minutes before the other divisions.

For athletes, the foundation's greatest contribution may be a hand at the races. Wheelchair athletes have a volunteer available to help shuttle them to the starting line. At the St. Anthony's Triathlon, volunteers will help challenged racers get to and from the different check-in locations. They'll also be on hand to lift swimmers out of the water as they transition to cycling or running. Dickson says he's inspired by all the able-bodied volunteers

"That's really impressive in itself, because they have no personal agenda behind it," he says.

Robin Adams, an avid triathlete and volunteer who coordinates many of the race logistics, says she helps out so others can feel the thrill of competition.

"I know what it feels like to cross that finish line, and I wanted to give it back to someone else," she says.

That giving back is even more important for disabled children and teens, Friedland says. A lot of local foundation efforts involve Blaze Sports, a Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation club for physically challenged athletes ages 6 to 21.

Helping children get wheelchairs designed for basketball, rugby or racing is essential to increasing their confidence and independence, says foundation volunteer Kelly Mione.

"We're trying to set an example so these kids may step a little outside their comfort zone and see what they can do," he says.