TUCSON, Arizona — It's a wheelchair basketball game at Gridley Middle School, and there are two types of competitors.
There are able-bodied players, as well as adaptive ones, such as 13 year-old Ismaila Jarajue, who attends Wilson K-8 school in Oro Valley.
Jarajue was born in West Africa with spinal deformity and club foot, and has taken to wheelchair basketball.
"It's real fun and I get to meet a lot of people," said Jarajue.
Wheelchairs for athletics are more complex than wheelchairs for everyday use, as a new one can cost approximately $5,000. On this day, The Hartford Insurance Company scored for Arizona Adaptive Sports with a $50,000 grant. Jarajue recieved a custom made wheelchair.
"It makes me faster, and I'm pay to have it."
The grant is a culmination of week long adaptive sports and inclusive recreation program at Gridley Middle School, something that made an impact on student council member Brylee Kennedy.
"It was an amazing experience that helps bring perspective to those who don't use wheelchairs so we have a better understanding of those who do," said Kennedy.
As for Jarajue, his basketball skills are now matched by the latest technology.
