University of Central Oklahoma Endeavor Games
The UCO Endeavor Games for Athletes with Physical Disabilities were first held in 2000 on the campus of the University of Central Oklahoma. The goal was simple; to provide 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.
The Games were originally created by a non-profit organization, whose overall mission was to offer quality sports programs to athletes with physical disabilities from Oklahoma and beyond. That first year, seven sports were offered, and 91 athletes attended from seven states and Australia. The event continued to grow, offering more sports and a few sport clinics.
In 2004, UCO recognized the importance and the potential the Endeavor Games had and integrated the non-profit and its small staff into the operations of the newly constructed Wellness Center. This opened many more opportunities for the Games including special efforts on marketing and design. Special events were offered such as sport clinics, different and more sport competitions, a welcoming party and an athlete banquet.
Activities
See AllArchery
Archery is a versatile activity. It is something that can be done for fun, for hunting, or for competition. “Target shooting wasn’t a thing for me,” said US Para Archery Head Coach Jonathan Clemins. “But I realized I enjoyed shooting my bow as much as I enjoyed hunting.” In addition, archery can be a year-round…
Basketball
In the beginning you had to have a spinal cord injury in order to play wheelchair basketball. But that, much like the game itself, has come a long way since 1946. Today, in order to be eligible to play wheelchair basketball within the NWBA (National Wheelchair Basketball Association) a person must have a permanent lower…
Cycling
Rain, sleet, snow, or hail … it seems that no matter the weather, you can always see a cyclist biking for pleasure, on an errand, or keeping fit. The love of bike riding is rapidly growing across nearly every demographic. Cycling has always been a great way to enjoy the outdoors, socialize with fellow bikers,…
Goalball
You are on an indoor athletic court and you can’t see. It is quiet. Suddenly, you hear a ball, with three bells on the inside, coming at you at nearly 40 mph. Your teammates are relying on you to stop it from going into the net. That is the sport of goalball. “For any fan…
Hiking
Take a Hike! Outdoor Adventure Awaits Everyone is concerned with fitness these days. Many people are also concerned with watching their personal budget, too. So what activity offers fun and fitness as well as being easy on the wallet? The answer is hiking, and almost everybody can do it, whether it’s simply utilizing community park…
Kayaking
When you go skiing, you need to find a mountain and cold weather. You don’t need anything special to start kayaking. Kayaking is just down the road. -Joe Mornini, Executive Director of Team River Runner Getting Started Looking to spend a quiet afternoon enjoying the outdoors and scenery? Perhaps you’re more of a thrill…
Powerlifting
You are lying on a bench. You reach up to grab the bar that is nestled on the rack. You bring the bar off the rack, descend it to your chest evenly and ascend it back up before putting the bar back in the rack. In essence, and in the simplest terms, that is the…
Rock Climbing
One of the things I like about rock climbing is that it always gives you little triumphs. You can reach new levels, you are never out of challenges, and you can do it pretty much anywhere. – Jarem Frye, Climbing Enthusiast and K12 Prosthetics founder Becoming Familiar with Adaptive Climbing For a full body…
Ropes Course
Swimming
Since the first Paralympic Games in Rome in 1960, swimming has been one of the Games’ main sports. The thrill of competition aside, swimming offers many benefits including strengthening the cardiovascular systems and the major muscle groups of both the upper and lower body. It also develops flexibility in the muscles and joints as…
Table Tennis
Table tennis is one of the most popular sports in the world with 16 million players in the U.S. alone. You can find table tennis in the basements and rec rooms of individual homes and apartments across the country. You can also play the game at sport and recreation facilities, university centers, and various other…
Track and Field
Track and Field is the largest Olympic and Paralympic sport in terms of the number of athletes and number of classifications and categories. In addition to the races that take place on the track, there are a number of competitions that take place on the field inside the track. In particular, there are throwing and…
Triathlon
Getting Started Get Out and TriThank you to Dare2tri for contributing information and photos for this article. Paratriathlon made its Paralympic competition debut in Rio 2016. The sport, which combines swimming, running and biking into one race, has been rapidly growing in the U.S. and abroad among athletes at all age ranges and ability levels. From…
Sit Volleyball
Becoming Familiar with Sitting Volleyball See You On The Floor! Looking for a sport that will give you a cardio workout, challenge your strategic thinking, and enable you to be on a team, all while just having fun? Then sitting volleyball may be perfect for you. Like many adaptive sports, sitting volleyball can be played…
Adaptive Shooting
Para Shooting has been part of the Paralympic Games since Toronto, Canada in 1976 and currently is being practiced in over 75 countries. Air Rifle and Pistol shooting is a test of skill and mental discipline, in which competitors use pneumatic rifles and pistols to fire a series of shots at a paper target. Competitions…
CONTACTS
- Email: cwalker68@uco.edu
- Web: endeavorgames.com
- Phone: 405-974-3411
- Location: Edmond, OK, 73034
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