Summertime Fun! 

SportsAbility 2025: 35 Years of Fun, Education, and Activities

SportsAbility 2025 was a great success! More than 800 people attended the 2-day event which kicked off on Friday with indoor activities, an informational expo and a celebration of SportsAbility’s 35th Anniversary. Students from area schools attended and enjoyed sit volleyball, tennis, fishing, archery, beanbag toss, fitness equipment, and a number of other activities. Approximately 20 exhibitors and activity providers from state and local agencies, non-profits, service providers, and community advocates provided information and demonstrations.

SportsAbility Alliance also presented two awards at the Expo. The Volunteer of the Year Award, given to a person who has been an invaluable volunteer to SportsAbility Alliance, was presented to John and DiAnna Lipscomb for their work in organizing and providing the sit-waterski activity at SportsAbility each year. The Lipscomb’s also participate in SportsAbility Alliance’s Sampler Activity Area at the annual Family Café Conference in Orlando, FL. Additionally, through their Ann’s Angels Foundation, the Lipscomb’s hold sit-waterski events throughout the state. John and DiAnna Lipscomb truly exemplify the belief that individuals of all abilities and all ages should have the opportunity to participate in sports and recreation.

The Active Leisure for Life Award, given to an individual or organization that embodies the SportsAbility Alliance mission: “to enrich lives through accessible, inclusive recreation and active leisure,” was presented to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida. In addition to its valuable funding for conservation efforts, the Foundation is committed to providing support to organizations that advocate and provide accessible and inclusive outdoor recreation.

On Saturday, we gathered at Maclay Gardens State Park for outdoor fun! Although it was pretty warm, it was a beautiful day for all the participants, volunteers, activity providers, family, friends, and caregivers who attended. Attendees could take part in an array of outdoor activities including sit-ski, boat rides, a climbing wall, EcoRover trail adventures, horseback riding, accessible bikes, nature tours, and lawn games. There was something for everyone regardless of individual interests, age, and abilities. 

A BIG THANK YOU to all our sponsors, activity providers, volunteers, and community partners. We could not have done this without you! Please visit the SportsAbility Page on our website for a list of sponsors, partners, activity providers, and exhibitors.

Family Cafe – June 13-15, 2025
The SportsAbility Alliance participated with our partners once again at the Family Café conference June 13-15, 2025 in Orlando, Florida.

The SportsAbility Activity Sampler Area at the Family Café was a very busy place, humming with people enjoying a variety of activities. Hands-on activities included tennis, SCUBA, archery, and axe -throwing. Resource providers provided information on adaptive water-skiing, EcoRovers, Florida state parks, motivation, and more! In addition to the samplers and resources, GatorLand held the ever-popular live animal demonstrations and had alligators and snakes for attendees to touch and hold.

We presented a session at Family Café on “Exploring New Technologie, Building Partnerships and Removing Barriers: Creating Opportunities for Recreation for People of ALL Abilities.” And, as usual we wrapped up our fun at Family Café with the SportsAbility Duck Race! Thank you to everyone who purchased ducks and supplied prizes in support of our programs.

Miracle Sports Tennis
Just in time for the hot summer days! Held indoors, we hope you will join us for adaptive tennis.
Dates: Thursdays – July 10, 2025 to July 31, 2025
Times: Youth 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm / Adults 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Holy Comforter Episcopal School, 2001 Fleischmann Road, Tallahassee, FL 32308

Virtual Workout
We continue to partner with the Spirt Club to offer Fitness Friday workouts at 11:00 am Eastern Time. Check it out on the SportsAbility Alliance Facebook page. Don’t worry if you miss one—the workout is available all week on-demand.

Stay Well and Stay Active!

Fran Gilbert
Executive Director, SportsAbility Alliance

Florida is well known for our outdoor recreational opportunities. The needs and benefits of time in nature are well documented. Sportsability Alliance (FDOA) has been an advocate for statewide conservation and public access for over 35 years. These two areas of concern and focus are the root of our beginnings and our mission. The time spent in nature is beneficial to all who participate in outdoor recreation and active leisure. Our very important role is to advocate for the good of all our residents and visitors of all abilities. We keep the conservation of our natural resources as a top priority. Protecting and nurturing our diverse animal and plant environments from the many challenges that we humans place on our ecosystems is vital to keeping and preserving our Florida outdoor recreation paradise.

Our fantastic opportunities draw enthusiasts who enjoy many different nature-based sports and recreation activities. Beaching, fishing, boating, biking, and hiking are favorites along with birding and wildlife viewing. Hunting, shooting, camping, photography, picnicking, scuba, and many other activities are pursued by millions year-round. We must protect our valuable resources through conservation efforts. Those who experience and enjoy these recreational activities are the very best advocates who “get it”. They provide the funding and the advocacy that is needed. Access to recreational opportunities on our lands is a key to conservation successes and programs. We need the help of all - all ages and all abilities!

Our organization is working hard to eliminate barriers for people with disabilities to be part of the solution. Two of the top barriers are lack of knowledge and lack of access. We try to help educate both the providers and the consumers of recreation about the importance of conservation, accessibility and disability inclusion. We provide information and do outreach to the public in many ways and means. We are working closely with our partners and other collaborators to increase access to the outdoors for people with mobility impairments with our ALLOUT EcoRover programs. We continue to grow opportunities for people to use the all-terrain mobility devices to enjoy the outdoors on public lands. We also advocate for more accessible pathways in our parks and other popular destinations with innovative mobility access products. We are especially proud of helping to place EcoRovers at several of our fabulous Florida beaches. We now have EcoRovers available to the public at Grayton and TopSail beaches in Walton County. The Florida State Parks Foundation has donated EcoRovers to these parks. The Foundation and Friends of the Parks - a citizen support group - collaborated to fund the purchase of an EcoRover for Paynes Prairie State Park in Alachua County and also at Blue Springs State Park in Seminole county. We are hoping to do more by working with othercFriends of the Parks CSG’s throughout the Park system.

Our other great EcoRover champion is the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida. They have provided funding to acquire a fleet of EcoRovers over the past 7 years for the ALLOUT program. That partnership allows us to provide the EcoRovers to the public to be used for hunting, shooting, and other outdoor adventures. Most recently, with a partnership with Florida Power and Light they provided funding for the purchase of two additional EcoRovers and a trailer to be used in Northwest Florida to move the units to different venues and dates. Mobility Impaired hunters can reserve the use of an EcoRover for several different hunts by going to our SA website and the ALLOUT reservation system.

We continue our work with conservation, recreation, travel, health, and disability organizations to provide enhancements that help to increase knowledge and improve accessibility. Watch for opportunities to participate and enjoy the benefits of outdoor recreation here in Florida.

ACTIVE LEISURE for LIFE! 

David Jones
Founder, SportsAbility Alliance

David Weir: The Wheelchair Racing Icon Who Defied All Odds

This blog post was written by SportsAbility Alliance Volunteer, Jessi Wynn.

David Weir is a true legend in wheelchair racing. The British Paralympic athlete has achieved an extraordinary career, winning ten Paralympic medals six being gold medals, six World Championship gold medals and eight London Marathons. 

Born in 1979 with a spinal cord transection that left him unable to use his legs, Weir initially faced frustration due to the lack of sporting options available to him. However, he rose above it and found his passion in the sport of wheelchair racing, where he has become an icon.