Adaptive dragon boat group Team Blue gets adults with disabilities paddling
Download mp3 (5.76 MB)One in 4 adults has some sort of developmental or physical disability according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which means accommodations are critical especially in sports. Adaptive sports are competitive activities for people with disabilities. Team Blue is an adaptive dragon boating team making waves in Tempe.
Ability360, Adaptive Adventures and the Arizona Dragon Boat Association have partnered together to create Team Blue. Ability360 is an Arizona nonprofit that supports people with disabilities. Team Blue is for veterans with or without disabilities and civilians with disabilities. Since October 2017, Team Blue has evolved into a dedicated and competitive dragon boat team.
Kuna and Evie Williams are two dedicated Team Blue paddlers. Kuna says it is a great way to get out and exercise, while his wife Evie says it is a good way for them to be a part of a team.
“We both have brain injuries, so this is a fun way for us to get out and kind of explore different activities,” Kuna Williams said.
The pair got into adaptive dragon boating, about four years ago. But dragon boating itself originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. Fast forward to 1976, when the Hong Kong government wanted to boost tourism, so they staged an international dragon boating festival. This brought the sport to the United States for the first time.
Kuna and Evie, along with about 20 of their teammates, sit in two rows facing forward on the boat. A drummer is at the front of the boat, beating out a rhythm that the team paddles to during races. Team Blue is pretty competitive, and their coach Michele Laye can be a little tough.
“Michele's our drill instructor,” Kuna said with a chuckle.
Laye believes the camaraderie of Team Blue is the most amazing aspect.
“Team blue is unique just due to the demographic. We have veterans, adaptive veterans or disabled vets, disabled civilians and then their supporters all coming together to work as one on the boat,” Laye said.
Team Blue got its start in Colorado in 2017. The organization Adaptive Adventures was looking for a partner in the Phoenix area.
Today, Team Blue is a three-way partnership between Adaptive Adventures, Ability360 and the Arizona Dragon Boating Association. Luke Rumbyrt is an adaptive fitness specialist with Ability360. Rumbyrt says he has been a part of many teams throughout his dragon boating career, but none like Team Blue. He recalled one special moment that happened during the recent festival.
“A great moment that happened … that just really reminded me of why I do this, is one of our paddlers, he was just really enjoying the music, and even though we’re all exhausted, he was still up and dancing with the tunes and everything … and just getting everyone engaged,” Rumbyrt said.
Rumbyrt says Team Blue would not be possible without support from the Arizona Dragon Boating Association, known as AZDBA. Ronda Carlson, who has been a part of AZDBA since its inception, is in awe of what Team Blue is able to accomplish year in and year out. Tempe Town Lake plays host to the AZDBA Dragon Boat Festival each year, which takes place in March.
“Team Blue is a very exciting team to watch because we have individuals that are able bodied, we have cognitive disabilities, we have physical disabilities and every single person here is here for one reason and one reason alone, and that’s for the love of dragon boating,” Carlson said.
Although Team Blue has several dedicated team members, they welcome new teammates year around, like Conor Mills and his father.
"Conor loves it, he’s real active, he does a lot of Special Olympic things, but this is a little different. It’s a real new and fun activity for us,” John Mills said.
Everyone comes on board the boat with different life experiences. But, it’s that diversity that fuels this team's passion for the sport. Team Blue builds physical fitness and fosters inclusion on the water, while leaving no team members behind.
