User:Jtetrick/Athletes Without Limits
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Athletes Without Limits is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping elite athletes with intellectual disability compete at their highest level — from mainstream sport to the US Paralympic Team and is the only US member of the International Sports Federation for Persons with Intellectual Disability (INAS).[1]
Athletes Without Limits is the US organization responsible for classifying elite athletes with intellectual disability as eligible for National Paralympic Committee events and International Paralympic Committee events, as selected by INAS, the international governing body for athletes with intellectual disability.[2][3]
In 2009, the International Paralympic Committee voted to re-include classes for athletes with intellectual (not just physical) disability in four sports in Paralympic competition at the national & international level, making London 2012 Paralympics the first time in over a decade that athletes with intellectual disability will be included in competition.[4]
Founded in 2009, Athletes Without Limits has worked with nearly 40 of the top athletes with intellectual disability in the US, including launching an integrated adaptive rowing team for athletes with intellectual disability.[5]
Athlete Without Limits' runner, Michael Murray, was the first athlete with intellectual disability to be included on the U.S. Paralympic team, competing in the 1500m at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships.[6]
Athletes Without Limits currently supports athletes in cycling, track and field/cross country, swimming, table tennis and rowing, with increasing opportunities in other sports. The Athletes Without Limits model promotes excellence in sport through inclusion and integration of athletes with disability into mainstream training and competition in an effort to improve opportunities for athletes with intellectual disability and help them achieve the highest level of competition.
References
[edit]- ^ Unlimited, Unbounded, Unbelievable, Bucks County Woman Magazine, August 2, 2010, http://www.buckscountywoman.com/2010/08/making_a_difference/unlimited-unbounded-unbelievable/ (Accessed August 8, 2011)
- ^ First Coast News, August 10, 2011, http://www.firstcoastnews.com/video/1099598176001/0/Monday-0808-Sarah-Gilbert---Global-Games
- ^ http://assets.usoc.org/assets/documents/attached_file/filename/43473/Intellectually_Disabled-Class_20.pdf
- ^ London 2012 Olympic Games http://www.london2012.com/blog/2007/12/a-positive-step-for-change-at-the-ipc.php, Accessed August 8, 2011
- ^ US Development camp invites athletes with intellectual disability to join, Inside World Parasport http://www.insideworldparasport.biz/insideparasport/9352-united-states-development-rowing-camp-invites-intellectual-disability-athletes-to-train- (Accessed August 8, 2011)
- ^ Athlete Profile, U.S. Paralympic team http://usparalympics.org/athletes/michael-murray (Accessed August 8, 2011)
External links
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