We expand access to adaptive sports so athletes can find their place.
A brochure introduced our founder, Alec, to adaptive sports when he was six. Sport gave him somewhere to belong and something to work toward. He went on to become a coach in the community that helped raise him.
That first introduction should not depend on luck. Neither should having the support to keep playing. Adapt To Life is built by people who know what that opportunity can mean.
How it started
“The first sport I’ve ever found where the wheelchair vanishes.”
Juan OrtizParalyzed at 14. Hall of Famer in wheelchair softball. Now building wheelchair pickleball in Chicago, and chasing his first US Open.
Read Juan’s story
This is the crew Juan plays with: 10 to 15 wheelchair pickleball players on court a night, growing the sport across the Chicago area. Through the Hustle & Heart Fund, we help keep them on court every week, then on the road to the US Open.
Meet the crewRaising nowChicago Pickleball: Wheelie Big Dills
What it takes to build the best wheelchair pickleball in the Chicago area, maybe the country.
$50,000our goal for the year ahead
A year of court time for 10 to 15 athletes a night, plus memberships for 10.
A season of tournament travel for the crew, through the 2027 US Open. See the road
Four nights on court every month for one athlete.
Tax-deductibleSecure checkout by Givebutter
New dates go up as they are set. Get them by email
Tim Gruensfelder brought everything he had to the basketball court. The Hustle & Heart Fund carries his name and helps other athletes get their chance to play.
Read Tim’s storyThe community is already here. We help clubs, organizations and coaches build and manage adaptive sports programs, and we fund the athletes who play in them. What we build will keep evolving with the community. The mission stays the same.
We are developing revenue and partnerships that help us keep building useful resources and supporting athletes, beyond the next fundraiser.
Our upcoming store, Adapt Body Shop, is part of that work. Gear for the community, and another way to help sustain what we’re building.
I got into this because someone handed me a brochure when I was six. Now it’s our turn to be that for the next athlete.
Your gift helps more athletes find their place and keep playing.
Your time, skills, and introductions can help too. Find your role.
