Desert Challenge Games

Lane Gram, Arizona Disabled SportsMark Grant, City of Mesa Parks, Recreation &

Commercial Facilities

• Three-day competition for people ages 6 through adulthood with physical disabilities.

• Physical disabilities include but are not limited to amputation, cerebral palsy, dwarfism, muscular dystrophy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, and visual impairment.

• Current competitions include track, field, archery, swimming and powerflifting.

• In it’s inception, the event also included boccia ball, air rifle and pistol and table tennis.

• Qualifying event for athletes to continue to national competitions.

What are the Desert Challenge Games?

Competitions• Track

– Blind– Ambulatory– Wheelchair

Competitions• Field

– Seated throws– Ambulatory– Shot, Discus, Javelin,

Club throw, Long Jump, High Jump

Competitions• Archery• Swimming• Powerlifting

Background

• The event is hosted by Arizona Disabled Sports and the City of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities.

• AzDS is a non-profit organization established in 1989. The organization provides a wide variety of sports and recreation programs for people with all types of disability.

• The success and longevity of the event is due to the developed partnerships.

• City of Mesa• Mesa Public Schools

• Symbius Medical• Grand Canyon State Games• US Paralympics• Disabled Sports USA / War Fighter Sports

Programs• Blaze Sports of America

Partnerships

• First annual event hosted in April of 1990 at Arizona State University Tempe Campus.

• Hosted the Far West Regional Games as part of the Desert Challenge Games in 1991.

• Hosted National Junior Disability Championships (NJDC) in 1997, 2004, and 2012.

• Hosted US Paralympic Track and Field Team Trials in June 2008.

• Hosted the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics Grand Prix event in May 2013.

History of the Event

• First event hosted 7 athletes. The most recent event hosted 225 athletes from 3 countries and 25 states.

• The event began as a grassroots competition for the athletes involved in the local program as well as the City of Tucson adaptive programs.

• The event continues to serve the first time athletes in the local program but will now also draw the top ranked Paralympic athletes to the competition.

• For the past 6 years, the event has been successful in recruiting US Military Veterans and hosts an average of 25 Veterans at each event.

Success

• Organized and consistent event• Reasonable registration fees• Trained officials and volunteers• Great venues

– Host Hotel– Competition Venues

• Event marketing – Web site– Facebook

• Give-aways– T-shirts– Awards

How did we grow the event?

Questions?

Contact Information• Lane Gram

Arizona Disabled Sports480.835.6273Lane@arizonadisabledsports.com

• Mark GrantCity of Mesa Parks, Recreation and Commercial Facilities480.644.3651Mark.grant@mesaaz.gov

• www.ArizonaDisabledSports.com• www.DesertChallengeGames.com