By Dr. Brad Schlaggar
This winter marks a historic milestone—the 50th anniversary of the Winter Paralympic Games. Since their debut in Sweden in 1976, the Games have grown from 53 athletes in two sports to nearly 600 athletes competing worldwide in six disciplines: alpine skiing, biathlon, cross-country skiing, sled hockey, snowboarding, and wheelchair curling.
That same spirit of determination and possibility thrives at Kennedy Krieger Institute, where 29 adaptive sports programs empower individuals with physical disabilities to experience the joy and benefits of athletic participation. From wheelchair basketball and sled hockey to adaptive sailing and cycling, these programs open doors to both recreational and competitive opportunities.
One of our most impactful initiatives is Bennett Blazers, a year-round program at Kennedy Krieger serving children as young as 2. For more than 35 years, Bennett Blazers has helped athletes with physical challenges explore and compete in a wide range of sports, with many advancing to regional and national competitions—and some even reaching the Paralympic stage.
Among them is Noah Grove, a Frederick, MD native and member of the gold medal-winning U.S. sled hockey team at the 2018 and 2022 Winter Paralympics. Grove, who first discovered sled hockey at age 11 through the Bennett Blazers, will compete again in the 2026 Winter Games. His achievements also include three World Para Ice Hockey Championship medals: silver in 2017 and gold in 2019 and 2021.
Behind Bennett Blazers are Gerry and Gwena Herman, who have led the program since its inception in 1990. With more than 75 years of combined experience, they continue to innovate and expand opportunities for children with physical disabilities to thrive. For them, and for every athlete, this program is about more than sports; it’s about empowerment, inclusion, and possibility.
“Involvement in sports changes lives for everyone who participates—physically, emotionally, and mentally,” says Gerry Herman. “And for the kids we work with, in many cases, this is the first experience they have to interact with other kids who are like them. They can really let their guard down and just be themselves.”
Also supporting adaptive sport athletes in the pursuit of athletic competition is the Adaptive Sports Medicine Clinic at Kennedy Krieger, led by Medical Director Dr. Cecilia Cordova Vallejos. Her team combines expertise in sports medicine and rehabilitation medicine with a passion for helping athletes reach their greatest potential through personalized training plans and medical guidance.
As we celebrate 50 years of Paralympic achievement and look ahead to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Games, we honor the connection between global competition and local programs like ours. Both champion inclusion and redefine what’s possible. Together, we celebrate not only Paralympic milestones, but the everyday victories that happen when barriers are removed and possibilities embraced.
