Making athletes with disabilities more visible

[Minnesota Public Radio, July 31, 2024] Paralympian and Minneapolis-native Chuck Aoki will travel to Paris in August to represent the USA once again in wheelchair rugby. He has already won three paralympic medals – two silver and one bronze – and he’s hoping to win a fourth.

Aoki has used a wheelchair since the age of 12 and credits Allina Health Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute with helping him continue to play sports. Aoki told Minneapolis Public Radio (MPR), “Courage Kenny is where I discovered wheelchair basketball, and it was here that I tried wheelchair rugby for the first time as well, which is just a really, really, really special thing.”

As Aoki continues to compete, he’s working to make athletes with disabilities more visible, and he met an MPR reporter at Courage Kenny – Golden Valley to give an in-depth interview about his journey.

• Read Aoki’s MPR interview: Four-time Paralympian Chuck Aoki strives to make athletes with disabilities more visible | MPR News.

• Learn about the adaptive sports and rec options for people of all ages: Adaptive Sports & Recreation Opportunities - Twin Cities area | Class | Allina Health.