31 Days of SMA: Adaptive Sports and SMA

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by Kevin Schaefer |

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Day 7 of 31 Days of SMA⁣⠀ Topic: Adaptive Sports and SMA⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ This is Josh Cueter's Story:⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Growing up I have always been an avid sports fan, from playing tee ball to different sports at recess, I always wanted to be involved as much as I could. Yet, as I got older, my SMA symptoms separated me from the sports I was used to playing, turning me to adaptive sports. Getting involved in Miracle League Baseball, adaptive skiing, and wheelchair floor hockey I ended up becoming involved with sports more than I could have originally dreamed of. While all of my friends were off at their own practices throughout middle and high school, I was able to lean on my own sports and activities to keep me busy and grow as a young adult. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ I originally joined the Wheelchair Hockey League just to play hockey, but I was inserted into an awesome world that I didn’t even know existed. Hockey introduced me to a whole new group of people who shared all of the same interests of contest and athletics that I did. That lead to new friendships that will never go away and has also allowed me to travel around the U.S. and Canada to compete in places I never thought I would. Through the connections and experiences, hockey has allowed me to create an identity that I use to be a captain within my hockey league and to help out the younger players just like when I first started playing. ⁣⠀ ⁣⠀ Wheelchair floor hockey, and adaptive sports in general, has allowed me to experience the adrenaline of competition. From the highs of winning to the lows of losing I have learned to channel that adversity into my everyday life as I live with SMA. Knowing that SMA does not define me I have learned to make my own rules to attain my goals.

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About the Author

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Kevin Schaefer Kevin Schaefer (he/him) is a writer, podcaster, and lover of all things pop culture. Diagnosed with SMA type 2 at the age of 18 months in 1995, he shares a vast array of hilarious and eye-opening stories from his life with a neuromuscular disability. He works as the associate director of community content for this site’s parent company, BioNews. He also hosts the SMA News Today Podcast. Kevin is a graduate of North Carolina State University and lives with his parents in Cary, NC. People regularly mistake him for Tony Stark, on account of his intellect and advanced technological equipment.

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31 Days of SMA, Josh Cueter, orthopedics, physical therapists, SMA Awareness Month
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