"You're almost there, Hudson,"
Morgan Rose, 4, of Castle Rock yelled encouragingly as her brother practiced hand cycling at Gateway High School June 12.
Hudson Rose, 7, surrounded and supported by his mother and three sisters, successfully rode the specially designed hand-powered tricycle up and down the parking lot.
Hudson, along with his brother
Alex, 7, were just two of approximately 100 kids, ages 5 to 18, participating in the 25th annual Colorado Junior Wheelchair Sports Camp at Gateway High School June 9 through 13.
The camp provides wheelchair-bound children the opportunity to enjoy a traditional camp experience and introduces them to recreational and competitive wheelchair sports like softball, archery, basketball, fencing, golf, swimming, tennis, rugby and hand cycling.
Families come from across Colorado to take part in the camp.
"This is awesome,"
Kevin Taulman of Steamboat Springs said.
This is the first year Taulman has brought his son
Kyle, 6, to the event and although it's about a three-hour drive from their home, Taulman said they'd definitely be back next year.
"I think it's a great opportunity and a great thing. It's a fun time for the kids," Taulman said.
The event is run entirely on donations and adult wheelchair athletes and community volunteers provide the counseling and instruction.
"(The camp) introduces kids to sports," said 14-year volunteer
Dan Clemente. "They find out they can actually do sports."
Wheelchair sports is a subject Clemente knows a lot about. Injured at the age of 29, Clemente found ways to stay active including joining the Rollin' Rockies softball team.
A former Aurora resident, Clemente moved to Tucson, Ariz. three years ago, but still makes the journey to camp every year to volunteer. Clemente said the camp is a great event for camaraderie, sharing information and stories between families and meeting other kids with similar abilities.
The campers rotate through events and are placed into groups depending on age and abilities.
Paul Stoiber, 8, of Centennial, was a Red Group member and worked hard one morning shooting hoops in the gym with volunteer
Ashley Hovey of Englewood. During one particularly successful stretch, Paul sunk more than 30 baskets in a row, despite not being able to rest up properly for the day's events.
"My brother started snoring like a bear around midnight," Paul said.
Hovey is very familiar with the workings of the camp, having been a camper herself, starting in 1988.
Hovey remembers having a lot of fun as a camper and wanted to give back once she got older.
"This is the one week where we get to be a majority," Hovey said.