In terms of whats news in the world of the disabled community and Arizona, it does not get much bigger than the opening of the Virginia G Piper Sports & Fitness Center for Persons with Disabilities (SpoFit).

The SpoFit is one of two centers in the U.S. that is specifically designed for people with disabilities.  It features two full-size basketball courts, an indoor suspended jogging track, climbing wall, fitness center and three pools.  The center is designed for the public to enjoy and also to serve as a venue for national and international sporting events.  In December, the center will be hosting it’s first Wounded Warrior event for newly disabled veterans.

The center will be home to the Phoenix Heat wheelchair rugby team, who’s roster includes numerous gold-medal Paralympians, and the Banner Phoenix Suns and Mercury wheelchair basketball teams (www.bannerwheelchairsuns.org). The basketball courts have a both 10′ and 8′ hoops to allow youths to play more competitive basketball.

One of the main attractions for competitive sports is the venue’s lockers, bathrooms and team equipment facilities.  Every space is designed to accommodate many athletes in wheelchairs at one time.  The showers are all accessible.  Not just a few, all of them.  As is the locker area and spectator seating.  For team sports, the venue has a basement that will be quartered off to allow teams to lock up their sports chairs and equipment.

Amber Blanchard is the manager of the SpoFit.  She was most recently the therapeutic recreation program coordinator at The Bend Park and Recreation District in Bend, Oregon, and program director/ board member at Oregon Adaptive Sports.  She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Arkansas. She is a current member of the National Recreation and Parks Association (N.R.P.A.) and National Therapeutic Recreation Society (N.T.R.S), Arizona Therapeutic Recreation Association (ASTRA), and has been Nationally Certified in Therapeutic Recreation for over a decade.

Fitness Manager, Gabe Gerbic tries out the 35' indoor rock wall.

The fitness center is on the second floor.  The center has two elevators.  The spacious work-out center includes an all-accessible line of Cybex weight-training and aerobic equipment. Gabe Gerbic is the fitness manager.  He has a B.S. in Exercise Science/Exercise Physiology and a Masters in Physical Education with an emphasis in exercise physiology.

The SpoFit opened for business in late October,  The grand opening ceremony will be in February, 2012.  The 3-day event will feature key-note speaker, Anthony Robles, the Arizona State University alumni who in spite of being an amputee became the NCAA wrestling champion at 125lbs.

The center is open 6 days a week.  Adults pay $35/month or $5.00/visit. Scholarships are available.  Visit the center at www.disabilitysportcenter.org.

 [Ed note: author is affiliated with ABIL and the SpoFit]

The Virginia G Piper Sports & Fitness Center is Open is a post from: Wheelchair Arizona eMag Accessing Arizona.

This entry marks the first “Sport Venue” entry for Accessing Arizona. The purpose is to provide insight into finding accessible seating before you buy the ticket. I hate buying tickets without knowing what view I’m going to get, and or if there is better seats available if I had only known more. So we’re going to try to visit the various locations around Arizona and get the inside skinny.

Firebird Raceway is located in Chandler, on the Gila Indian Reservation, just south of Phoenix. The property has both a drag racing track and a water sports lake. It is the lake where we’ll get started. This weekend is the IHBA Top Fuel Boat Drags. It is the first time I’ve ever visited the lake. We’ll add info about the asphalt drag strip the next time an event comes to town.

[Click on the photos for comments]

The first bonus we PwD’s get when going to a lake event is VIP parking. Basically you park right beside the lake. This is a significantly shorter walk compared to the general parking area which requires you to traverse a catwalk over another race course.

The lake is probably a 1/2 mile long and 1/8th mile wide. Interestingly, the lake has a salt content higher than the ocean. This is because a boat is more buoyant in salty water, and buoyancy means less drag and more speed.

Down the west side of the lake is the grandstands which aren’t accessible. Instead, wheelchair folks get to sit in the two media areas which are right against the lake. The view is very good, and aside from the camera people who share the area, it is unobstructed. You can not get any closer and still stay dry. The only problem with this seating is a lack of shade that is available in the grand stands. So if it is summer, perhaps an umbrella would come in handy. Your friends and family can bring folding chairs that will be far better than the grand stands as well. The bathrooms are right behind the grandstands and the entire area is flat and accessible. As a sitting photographer, the fence obstructs my lens. I understand the need for it, so I had to sneak down to the end of the lake to get my photos.

Firebird Lake gets good marks. The access is nothing elaborate, but you wont be disappointed, and the racing is very entertaining. I also get the feeling that manangement and employees have a can-do attitude and can find real-time solutions to any access needs that might come up.

Incidentally, for anyone into boat racing, we witnessed one helluva crash during my visit. The boat lost control and basically just decentigrated in a split second. Check out Mark Rebilas’ web blog for photo account here.

Firebird Raceway is a post from: Wheelchair Arizona eMag Accessing Arizona.