As international events like the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games and 2025 Invictus Games put adaptive sports into the spotlight and, locally, the University of Alabama Women’s Wheelchair Basketball team recently earned a fifth consecutive national championship, a team spearheaded by UAB hopes to have a big impact on the health of these athletes.
Researchers at UAB, the University of Cincinnati, and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital are collaborating to develop the Para-Athlete Research for Wellness, Injury Prevention, and Sports Medicine Excellence (PARA-WISE) Registry. The PARA-WISE Registry aims to build the infrastructure necessary to support a nationwide network of para-athlete injury information, ultimately developing the capacity to sustain and expand successful injury prevention programs tailored to para-athletes.
“I am excited to work with this dedicated group as we start shifting the focus of sports and exercise medicine research toward groups like para-athletes, who face unique health concerns that can only be addressed through contextualized research,” explained co-investigator Irfan Asif, M.D., chair of the Department of Family and Community Medicine and the inaugural recipient of the Heersink Endowed Professorship in Sports and Exercise Medicine.
This registry tracks self-reported training metrics as well as quality of life. Using weekly, online questionnaires for three months, participants will report on any injury or illness that prevents them from participating in sport.
Designing and evaluating injury prevention strategies requires continuous access to high-quality, longitudinal injury data. However, ongoing and systematic collection of sports injury data is rare. While mortality, hospital, and emergency department surveillance systems can provide routine data for serious sports injuries, they often under-report less severe events. Research suggests that to capture the full spectrum of sports injuries, comprehensive club-based and organized sports injury surveillance systems are required.
Working alongside researchers is an advisory council comprised of world-class para-athletes who are providing feedback on the registry surveys and educational programming, along with insight into the athlete's experience. The Athlete Advisory Council includes four members of USA Wheelchair Rugby, which brought home silver at the Paris Paralympic Games, as well as elite and recreational athletes representing the adapted sports of high jump, sled hockey, soccer, swimming, and wheelchair basketball, handball, and tennis.
“I am looking forward to sharing my experiences with this council as well as learning from others in the community,” said Nico Calabria, captain of the U.S. Amputee Soccer Team and the all-time leading goal-scorer for Team USA, who is a member of the PARA-WISE Athlete Advisory Council. “The world of adaptive sports is incredibly exciting and growing fast; it is a wonderful time to be involved and connect with like-minded individuals who see the power of sports to improve lives.”
The collaboration is also piloting a groundbreaking wellness intervention which aims to promote sports nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, resilience, and quality of life among para-athletes. Tailored for current and former para-athletes, this five-week health and wellness program focuses on improving mental health, nutrition, injury prevention, and overall health. Participants will be randomly assigned to either the tele-wellness program or a control group.
This virtual program offers weekly sessions covering wellness topics tailored specifically to the needs of adaptive athletes. Researchers will evaluate participant satisfaction as well as the program’s overall impact on their health and well-being. This initiative represents a significant step in promoting holistic health and wellness for para-athletes, paving the way for future programs and research in this vital area.
“As an Occupational Therapist and adaptive athlete, I have seen firsthand how exercise, sport, and physical activity helps improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities,” said Sarah Adam, a member of the PARA-WISE Athlete Advisory Council and silver medalist with USA Wheelchair Rugby. “Adaptive sport has changed my life in so many meaningful ways and I hope to help others get connected.”
For more information on eligibility requirements and to join the PARA-WISE registry, visit Redcap.link/PARAWISE.