WAUKESHA, Wis. — Pickleball has been referred to as the "fastest growing sport", and an event at the UW-Waukesha Field House on Sunday help to expand the sport to even more athletes.
The first ever Big Cheese Classic, a wheelchair pickleball clinic and tournament was presented by the Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association in partnership with the National Paralyzed Veterans of America.
"For me, a lot of adaptive sports are focused around people with disabilities only play," said Jackson Tracy, a wheelchair athlete who participated in the tournament. "I think what pickleball does is bring everybody together."
Tracy was playing with his the eldest of his children on Sunday. Quality time that he cherishes.
"I was injured at about age 20, I believe, and yeah, we just want to be treated equally just like everybody else. We have the ability to do just about anything yet we just adapt to make it work for us," he said.
Organizers said the event was the first of its kind in the Midwest region.
"Just because they have a different type of physical impairment doesn't mean they're not normal," said Dr. Kenneth Lee, a Doctor of Physical Rehab at the Medical College of Wisconsin. "They are perfectly, one-hundred percent normal and they can play and participate in any activities they want, including sports."
Dr. Lee said adaptive sporting events are good tools for both physical rehab and social connection.
"When there's a sports opportunity, there's no reason why people in wheelchairs or people needing adaptive sports should be left behind. They should be part of any movement," he said.
For Tracy, today's event was all about inclusivity and togetherness.
"A lot of us have different injuries, different ways we ended up in a chair, but the reality is we all come together to have a great time and it kind of feels like you're on an equal playing field," said Tracy.
The event was put on by about 80 volunteers according to organizers and it was free and open to the public.
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