I am the proud mother of Eamon Castaldi, an 18-year-old Adaptive Track Athlete, advocate for adaptive sports, big brother, and soon-to-be University of Cincinnati Bearcat. Eamon started doing track at his middle school in eighth grade. We were lucky enough to have a nearby park district with a small adaptive sports program that lent out racing chairs to young athletes to use during each track season. Eamon's first chairs came from this park district. He is still using the same racing chair he started and ended his high school career in. Throughout the years, Eamon grew as an athlete alongside his coaches who learned more and more about coaching a disabled student and how to manage his equipment. From sophomore year through senior year, Eamon competed in the Ohio High School Athletic Association's state track meet with other seated racers. Every year he grows stronger and faster, continually beating his best times. This year he competed in two Move United track events, one being the Hartford Nationals. Eamon achieved first place in all three of his events in his classification.

During this time, Eamon continues to use his loaner racing chair. However, that chair does not fit Eamon's body, and its age has made it difficult to maintain and have parts for. Most importantly, it is preventing him from achieving his ultimate best performance. Eamon has dreams of competing with the top athletes in adaptive athletics, including Paralympians, and using his experiences and education to advocate statewide and nationwide for adaptive athletics. His current racing chair will not get him there.

This GoFundMe is asking to raise enough money to buy Eamon a custom-sized racing chair as well as a travel case. The chair alone has been estimated to cost about $11,000. The case, while priced on the website of the manufacturer at around $900, is in the UK. With tariffs, the cost will double. Any funds over the cost of the racer and the case will be used to purchase backup/spare parts (wheels, racing mitts, etc.).