Nonprofit and leader in adaptive sports sends athletes overseas for the 3rd IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship
ATLANTA–(BUSINESS WIRE)–BlazeSports America, a nonprofit organization founded as the legacy of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games and a leader in the field of adaptive sports and recreation, announces that three BlazeSports athletes are competing for the first-ever USA Team Handball Wheelchair National Team in the 3rd IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship.
The IHF Wheelchair Handball World Championship takes place in Cairo, Egypt from September 16th and 21st. Of the ten-person team roster, three of the athletes are BlazeSports athletes, including alumni Liz Pentecost and Sam Armas, as well as current BlazeSports athlete Najee Smothers. Smothers, the youngest player to be selected for the team, was discovered at one of BlazeSports’ wheelchair basketball camps.
“We are ecstatic about Liz, Sam and Najee making the USA Team Handball Wheelchair National Team. All of us in the BlazeSports family look forward to watching them take their game to the international stage,” states Dawn Churi, Executive Director of BlazeSports. “Our mission at Blaze has always been to expand the world of adaptive sports for our athletes and we are thrilled that USA Team Handball is doing just that with this inaugural team.”
BlazeSports serves athletes with physical disabilities across three segments – Youth, Adult and Veterans. These programs provide Blaze athletes the opportunity to compete against other adaptive sports athletes across the country as well as increase their independence and success outside of the realm of sports. Blaze offers programs such as wheelchair basketball, archery, track and field, tennis, swimming, and more. In addition to their weekly programs, BlazeSports hosts an annual Peachtree ParaGames, a multi-day, multi-sport event that provides even further competitive opportunities for adaptive athletes.
The introduction of the Wheelchair National Team for USA Team Handball comes at a unique time as the U.S. is hosting the Paralympics in 2028, the first time since the 1996 Atlanta Games, which BlazeSports was founded as the legacy of. In addition to the Wheelchair National Team, other Blaze athletes continue to compete on the global scale. BlazeSports alumna, Bailey Moody, competes in the Paris Paralympic Games this year, representing Team USA’s Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team.
In honor of the 28th anniversary of BlazeSports, the organization has also announced its Blaze for Gold Campaign, which aims to raise $100,000 by December 1st. These funds will go towards Blaze’s annual fund to provide adaptive sports programs for both youth and veteran athletes and expand the world of adaptive sports. For more information about BlazeSports’ programs or how to get involved in the organization, please visit www.blazesports.org.
About BlazeSports America
BlazeSports America is the direct legacy 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of the 1996 Atlanta Paralympic Games serving children, youth, and Veterans with disabilities through programs, training and education initiatives. Based in Atlanta and a two-time winner of the US Olympic Committee’s Rings of Gold for impactful programs, BlazeSports is a member of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee – Multi-Sport Organizational Council, and the USA Member Organization of the Cerebral Palsy International Sport and Recreation Association (CPISRA). BlazeSports will celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2026. For more information visit www.blazesports.org and follow us on Facebook/X blazesports, Instagram: @blazesportsamerica.
Contacts
Kate Laird
Trevelino/Keller
404.214.0722 x.125
klaird@trevelinokeller.com
