This month’s spotlight is Shawn out of Denver, CO! Shawn received an Active Fund grant for a sports chair to play lacrosse. Shawn plays for the Colorado Rolling Mammoth through the Colorado Wheelchair Lacrosse Foundation. In addition to playing adaptive and wheelchair sports, he also works in sport management and serves on the board of directors for Wheelchair Lacrosse USA. 

When Shawn first began his adaptive sports journey, he was hesitant to try wheelchair sports because he was afraid it would make him miss the sports he loved prior to his injury. However, has realized that the game is still the same and he can still compete, sweat, and have fun using a sports wheelchair. Shawn says that he gets “lost in the fun of playing” and practice is “the only time all week where I feel like I can move fast and like my disability is not present at all.” Shawn wants to show his daughter that he can be active regardless of his disability and is dedicated to providing opportunities for more disabled athletes. 

Shawn was first introduced to wheelchair lacrosse at a camp in northern California nearly a decade ago but did not have a team to play with consistently. “Fast forward a few years after moving back to Colorado,” he recalls, “I was flying home to Denver from a conference and was on the same flight as the founder of the Colorado Rolling Mammoth team [another KBF grant recipient Dan!] We spent the flight chatting, and I went out to practice with the Colorado team a few weeks later.”

Shawn’s first wheelchair lacrosse tournament on Long Island in 2019 “was by far the most unique and exciting lacrosse event that I had ever attended,” he says. When he got home, he knew he needed to be more involved in the sport.  “As a former college lacrosse player who was now dealing with a spinal cord injury,” he explains, “I felt like it was a great opportunity to get involved.” After raising his hand at a meeting in 2020, Shawn has served on the board of Wheelchair Lacrosse USA ever since. 

Shawn says that being on a sports team has connected him with the wider disability community in ways that he did not anticipate. “There is nothing as impactful as being on a team!” he says. He and his teammates share tips, vent about common frustrations, and celebrate and support each other. “That is the part that I enjoy the most,” he says, “creating a team atmosphere where folks can get support but also let their guard down a bit because we all understand what each other is going through on a daily basis.”