Page 37 - Tom Steyer Issue

He’s been able to stay connected with other Spartan ath- letes through Zoom meetings, but he’s also staying active by using his Freedom Chair to trek across con- nected roadways in his hometown.
Sportable offered no virtual classes or training prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. Forrest said the organization now hosts weekly meetings for its competitive and recreational teams, and this has pushed the organization into what likely will be a consistent online and virtual communication stream for the future.
“From a fitness and racing perspective, this has actually been kind of a blessing because I’m commuting more in the chair so my distances are going up,” Tyler said. “Even though I’m not on super hard, rugged trails, 20 miles a day on asphalt is pretty serviceable training for a 5k, which is what the para race is.”
Forrest even sees this move to online outreach as a way to serve more people beyond the Richmond area.
Tyler has used Google Maps to plot out a network of trails that carry him across his town.
“The biggest thing for us is staying relevant and fulfill- ing our mission, even though we can’t do it how we nor- mally would,” Forrest said. “Like we do in our sports and how they were created, we’re trying to adapt and put our best foot forward.”
“I’ve lived in Crozet and the surrounding area for 20 years, and I had never been to the park until this pan- demic broke out,” Tyler said. “The park I go to does have some tricky sections where you have to focus. It’s a good challenge, especially if I’m solo or even with one other person. It’s challenging enough that it’s fun, but not dangerous. That chair is keeping me sane.”
For Challenge Aspen, location is one of its biggest assets, according to Deb.
Despite the cancelation of many organized sporting events, the great outdoors have given solace to people seeking some simple and necessary movement. Even virtual connections have been welcomed.
“We are so blessed to live in an area where getting out- side is part of everyday life,” she said. “The weather has been beautiful and it seems that everyone is making time to get out for hikes and walks and a little biking.”
Deb Sullivan, recreation program director for Challenge Aspen in Snowmass, Colo., said the organization began virtual programming within a week of shutting down their in-person skiing and outdoor recreation activities.
“It’s definitely changed things,” said Cindy Baldwin, a writer from Hillsboro, Ore., who lives with cystic fibro- sis. “The first several weeks, once the stay-at-home order went into effect, I was really having trouble because I was so completely exhausted every day.”
“Probably the most affected group in our programming were those athletes that were getting ready to participate in the NASTAR Nationals (competitive skiing event) that were to be hosted at Snowmass,” Deb said. “The cancelation was a huge letdown and terrible way to end the season for them.”
Cindy’s daily energy expanded from managing her fam- ily’s house to also include homeschooling and parenting stressors of her 7-year-old daughter.
She said the organization immediately shifted to virtual programming through the website and Facebook. They have tried to connect through social distance drive-by communication with about 20 participants.
Physical exercise is essential for members of the CF community, so restricting how and where exercise can take place can be a massive barrier. Cindy said she didn’t have a gym membership before the pandemic, and the closure of outdoor spaces like state and national parks limited her excursions. Even those that remain open are not safe for her due to health risks.
Sportable, a non-profit adaptive sports club in Rich- mond, Va., has also quickly shifted to virtual outreach to maintain some form of community and physical activity for its athletes.
“We live near a neighborhood park that has trails and my husband and daughter have walked there since this has started, but I haven’t walked there yet because it’s always been a popular park. I’ve been nervous to ven- ture out into places where I know people might be,” Cindy said.
“It has impacted a lot of our athletes who don’t have adapted equipment for their particular sport, or any sport,” said Forrest Lodge, program manager at Sportable who is leading much of the Facebook and Zoom connection opportunities. “That has been a strug- gle. If you look across our entire athlete population that we serve, we’re going to have many ups and downs. I can imagine a lot of our athletes are dealing with some aspects of depression or anxiety because of the social isolation.”
Social isolation is often part of life for members of the CF community. Winter and flu season can be dangerous for people with immune deficiencies. Masks are routine, as is staying inside.
The ability to simply shift physical activity and recre- ation, however, has not been easy for everyone.
Cindy said she has not gone into a building since early March.
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