The Hartford Human Achievement through Adaptive Sports

Three athletes racing in racing wheelchairs

Move United /

The Hartford
Human Achievement through Adaptive Sports

Human Achievement through Adaptive Sports

Logo of The Hartford insurance company

The Hartford has been a leader in the Adaptive Sports Movement for three decades – and in partnership with Move United, supports adaptive sports events, equipment donations and athletes.

Every winter since 1993, The Hartford serves as the title sponsor of The Hartford Ski Spectacular, the largest winter festival for youth and adults with disabilities. The programs offered during this week-long event include learn to ski and snowboard lessons, a week-long race camp, Level I Race (Ski Spec Challenge Race), Nordic skiing, free clinics (in Nordic skiing, biathlon, curling, and sled hockey), PSIA-AASI National Adaptive Academy for Instructors, banquets, and other social/networking events. The Hartford Ski Spectacular strengthens and expands adaptive snow sports programs in communities throughout the U.S. and helps identify and train youth, wounded warriors, and others with disabilities who strive to be winter Paralympians. A week of ski and snowboard race training prepares athletes for national and international competitions.

Summer events include title sponsorships of five of the most prominent adaptive sports competitions in the United States: the UCO Endeavor Games, Desert Challenge Games, Texas Regional Games, Great Lakes Games and Move United Junior Nationals. These events provide hundreds of youth and adults with disabilities the opportunity to compete in 12 adaptive sports, participate in learning clinics and receive national classification.

Often, the biggest barrier to adaptive sports participation for youth and adults with disabilities is equipment, which can be very expensive. The Hartford’s Human Achievement through Adaptive Sports program launched in 2019 to make adaptive sports and equipment more accessible to youth and adults with disabilities. Since inception, the program has impacted the lives of more than 30,000 people and donated more than 3,000 pieces of adaptive sports equipment.

The Hartford is also supporting the launch of Move United OnDemand – a digital fitness platform that will offer online, adaptive sports training for all ability levels that is accessible anytime, anywhere. Participants can choose from a variety of strength, yoga, cardio, HIIT and dance-inspired classes taught by accomplished instructors, including 2019 World Champion Para-Snowboarder Keith Gabel and world-class wheelchair basketball champion Megan Blunk.

The Hartford has been an advocate for the adaptive sports movement and sponsor of athletes with disabilities for three decades. As a leading disability insurer, the company has a long-held belief that sports are an important part of physical rehabilitation following a disabling illness or injury.

Programs

The Hartford’s commitment to adaptive sports is wide-ranging, and includes support for adaptive sports events, equipment and athletes at all levels. Learn more details by clicking the links below.

Ski Spec instructors with youth participant smiling and getting ready to ski

The Hartford Ski Spectacular

Each December for more than 30 years, The Hartford Ski Spectacular brings 800 people together for the largest winter sports festival for people with disabilities. The programs offered during this week-long event include learn to ski and snowboard lessons, a week-long race camp, Level I Race (Ski Spec Challenge Race), Nordic skiing, free clinics (in Nordic skiing, biathlon, curling, and sled hockey), PSIA-AASI National Adaptive Academy for Instructors, banquets, and other social/networking events.

Learn more

Athletes posed for a picture holding various snow equipment

Ability Equipped

Providing adaptive sports equipment to more than twenty Move United chapters as well as dozens of individual athletes across the country.

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Male athlete pushing off of starting block with left leg prosthetic

Move United Junior Nationals

A weeklong national sport championship event open to athletes through the age of 22. Sports on the program include archery, paratriathlon, powerlifting, shooting, swimming, and track and field.

Learn more

Three young female athletes with prosthetics running in a race

UCO Endeavor Games

The University of Central Oklahoma's annual Endeavor Games for Athletes with Physical Disabilities provides children, adults and military service members with physical disabilities an opportunity to display their talents in a proper and competitive setting against individuals with similar disabilities.

Learn more

OnDemand

Join in virtual adaptive fitness taught by top adaptive sports instructors from around the country. Classes offered will focus on strength, cardio and yoga, with beginner, intermediate and advanced classes.

Coming soon!

Ski Spec athlete skiing on mountain with double leg amputation at the knee

Three Ski Spec athletes skiing on ski slope

Two Ski Spec coaches with athlete in a wheelchair smiling at camera

Ski Spec athlete snowboarding on ski slope

Ski Spec athletes on bi-skis skiing down slope smiling at each other

Ski Spec athletes and coaches on skis and bi-skis on ski slope

Ski Spec athlete and coach giving each other a high five

Ski Spec instructor smiling on slope waiving at camera

Four Ski Spec athletes smiling, posed in front of camera

Overview picture of Breckenridge Ski Resort with skiers in lessons on the mountain and a ski lift overhead

The best part is the social interaction with others who all have some level of disability but have come out there to show that their disability doesn't define them and hasn't stopped them from getting out and enjoying skiing in whatever form that takes, monoski, three tracking, snowboard or skiing on two skis.

Posie Mansfield

Adult, Ski and Snowboard Lessons

Ski Spec athlete on snowboard with arms out to the side to balance and smiling at camera

My favorite part of Ski Spectacular was learning to snowboard! It was a great feeling seeing other people with "disabilities" able to do what they love. I never thought I would ever be able to learn to snowboard but thanks to Ski Spectacular and my awesome instructor Byrum, I was able to experience something I’ll never forget!

Austin

Youth, Ski and Snowboard Lessons

Ski Spec athlete holding ski equipment and smiling at camera

(This was) the first trip when I realized there were so many like-minded, passionate people wanting to change and improve peoples' lives through skiing and snowboarding. The whole week was like being in a candy store with so much stimulus, information, confirmation, and ideas. Recharged my batteries.