Chairs help athletes make tracks to gyms

Orin Lewis reaches for the basketball Saturday while playing with his cousins, Shannon, far left, Jerrison and Valerena Harison at Kayenta High School in Arizona. The Christopher Reeve Foundation donated 10 wheelchairs to the school so community members and their families can socialize and participate in activities together. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

By Pamela G. Dempsey
Diné Bureau

Valerena Harrison pushed her cousin, Orin Lewis away from her Saturday while practicing wheelchair basketball at Kayenta High School. Neither Harrison nor Lewis are disabled, but were at the school to play with and support a family member. (Photo by Jeff Jones/Independent)

KAYENTA — The wheels on several athletic wheelchairs squeaked against the gym floor as their passengers hurried to catch the basketball they were tossing around.

Shooting a basket from a chair will take time to get used to, but both the able-bodied and disabled teammates appear to look forward to the challenge.

The first practice of a new wheelchair basketball team met on Saturday morning to coordinate an introduction and demonstration of their team to the rest of Kayenta during a high school basketball game Saturday night.

"They don't know until it happens in their own family how hard it is and how much it takes," said Gordon Zeena, one the team's players.

The new team wants to bring awareness on physical disabilities to its community as well as get those with disabilities more involved.

Thanks to an $18,000 grant from the Christopher Reeve Foundation, they have another way to do it.

"I think its wonderful," said Helen Bonnaha, president of Kayenta Health Care Corporation Inc. "I'm tickled pink about how it's going."

The health board, along with Dr. Ellen Rothman, a pediatrician, worked to bring the grant to Kayenta.

"The health board has been really great," Rothman said. "It's an important advocacy for our community ... really brings back community voice to our clinics."

Recently, the health board installed a pool lift for the high school swimming pool so that people with disabilities can use the facilities. They've also worked to bring all-terrain vehicle helmets to the community, as casualties from ATV accidents are on the rise.

The funding from the Christopher Reeves Grant bought 10 athletic wheelchairs, chairs designed especially for sports, and will allow the team to pay a visit to the Wheelchair Basketball Finals in April.

"I think it would be great for us to get out there and tell Kayenta we're here," Rothman told the team as they geared up for their first practice.

The team seemed to agree.

They practiced shooting and passing until the basketball went flat.

— To contact reporter Pam Dempsey, call (505) 879-1707 or email pamelagdempsey@msn.com