University of Central Arkansas Departments of Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy, Conway Regional Rehabilitation, and Increasing Capabilities Access Network (ICAN) recently sponsored a one day sports and leisure day experience in Conway.
The sports and leisure day gives students and persons living with spinal cord injury an opportunity to learn about and participate in adapted sports and recreation activities. The event is planned each year by Twala Maresh, DPT, physical therapy professor; Dr. Lorrie George, occupational therapy professor; and Debbie Cummings, Conway Regional Rehabilitation Hospital recreational therapist.
The day began with a keynote speech about the outdoor adventure program, Turning Point, by Jason Swanson. Swanson shared that Turning Point is celebrating 31 years of developing “self-esteem and confidence in the physically challenged population through participation in adapted outdoor adventures”. Swanson was joined by Carlos Turic of Dallas and a panel of local participants who shared information about their spinal cord injury and their involvement in sporting/ leisure activities.
Local participants included Billy Fryer (golf, basketball), Joe McNeil and Marty Johnson (cycling), and Mark Carson (tennis). Students, participants with spinal cord injuries, and professionals were able to learn about the meaning of sports participation as well as the practical aspects of participation from panel members. After lunch, participants became physically engaged in a variety of activities at Conway Regional Health and Fitness Center including adapted golf, tennis, basketball, and road racing.
Participants also visited the booths of community service agencies where representatives shared information about the services and products they offer. Companies and agencies included ICAN (Eddie Schmeckenbecher), Arkansas Spinal Cord Commission (Patti Rogers) and Disabled Hunting Programs (Toney LeQueiu), Glass Seating and Mobility (Cary Yarbrough and Angela Schwmacher), Sunrise Medical/Quickie wheel-chairs (Bob Robins), Permobil Wheelchairs (James Taylor), and Beyond Boundaries Program (Beth Stamp and Lisa George).
Occupational and physical therapy students collaborated to develop fact sheets about the activities. The fact sheets provide basic information about each sport, rules for participation in competition, equipment, and resources for further information. They will be available on the ICAN website at www.ar-ican.org.