Hi, my name is Garnett Silver-Hall. I am a 14-year-old 8th grader at Bolinas Stinson Union School District in Marin County, California. I was born with a medical condition that limited my joint movement and made the muscles around my joints very weak; this condition is called Arthrogryposis (arth-ro-grip-OH-sis). I have had eight surgeries on my legs since I was born.

https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/arthrogryposis-multiplex-congenita/

(click on the link above to lern more about my disability)

When I was about nine years old, I was at the movie theater and I met a girl who was also in a wheelchair. She told me about an organization called BORP (the Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program) She said I should come to the Oakland Ice Center the next Sunday and try out for a sport called sled hockey.  I took her advice, and on that day I met my soon-to-be coach Trooper Johnson. It was extremely fun and I knew it was something I wanted to commit to long term. I continued going to the ice rink every week to practice until I was good enough to make the team.

I have now been playing sled hockey for about five years and will continue to do so. As I got to know my coach better he suggested that I try wheelchair basketball. I was reluctant at first as I had never tried it but thought I'd give it a shot. The next week I went to my first wheelchair basketball practice. It was difficult at first because of the limited degree my arms bend, but I soon learned how to adapt and create my own push stroke. Now I can push just as fast and even faster in some cases than other players with much more arm flexibility. The longer I played basketball and sled hockey, the more Trooper Johnson became an important figure and role model in my life. I learned that he's a three-time Paralympic gold medalist for USA wheelchair basketball. He is also the assistant coach for the USA Women’s National Paralympic Team.

Since I started playing sports, my life has changed for the better. I have become more independent and self-reliant. I have also become more confident. Before, if anyone asked me about my disability I would withdraw like I was the only wheelchair-bound person in the world. Through sports, I have met hundreds more kids in wheelchairs like me and become friends with a lot of them. I now feel like a part of a community and no longer feel isolated.

After meeting Aaron “wheelz” Fotheringham and Mike Box in San Diego, I decided to add a new sport to my athletic resume. WCMX is basically skateboarding or BMX biking in a wheelchair. BMX athletes require specialized bikes to compete and the same is true for those of us in wheelchairs. This gofundme campaign  will cover the cost of a customized Box wheelchair designed to fit my body. Competing in WCMX would be incredibly fun and would further increase my independence and self-esteem. I recently visited a great new community skate park in Oakland called Town Park. I can’t wait till the day that I can take my new Box chair out for a spin at this great community park.


http://www.boxwheelchairs.com/#!wcmx/c1mb1

(here is a link to Box Wheelchairs.com if you would like to do more reasearch on your own)


Thank you so much for donating!!! :)

Also big thanks to Robert and Lori Berger for helping me along the way!!!

Below is a picture of the chair I am fundraising for.