Athlete Services

I have a unique story. I started playing wheelchair basketball and racing in track and field at the age of four until about the age of 12. My last two years, I picked up wrestling in high school. After my senior year of wrestling, I was actually hoping to look at the possibility of wrestling for a university. The spring prior to my graduation, I received a message from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania’s wheelchair basketball coach Jim Glatch asking if I wanted to play wheelchair basketball at the collegiate level. I was not receiving any offers for wrestling and could not turn down the opportunity to be a student-athlete in college. The thing that I loved the most about being a student-athlete was the fact that I was able to be the first in my family to obtain a college degree while participating in a competitive sport atmosphere.

Competing against some of the best athletes in the country at the collegiate level prepared me to compete on Team USA as a lot of my competitors during my college career became my teammates. It was almost as if competing within the college ranks was training in and of itself as we continued to play against some of the best that the U.S. has to offer.

Being a student-athlete made me a better player, person and leader on and off the court. I had to learn how to manage the full-time work load of a college student while also maintaining my practice, training and competition schedules. Being a student-athlete in college teaches you how to develop the values of responsibility, accountability and discipline. You have to be responsible for maintaining and achieving new heights in your studies and within your respected sport. You are accountable to your family, teammates, university and yourself as your actions (or lack of actions) effects everyone you have a connection with. Lastly, you must be disciplined to stay focused while attempting to obtain your ultimate goal even if that means making hard sacrifices.