#041- Preparing for the Paris Paralympics with Chuck Aoki

In this episode, Brendan Aylward is joined by Chuck Aoki, a well-decorated Paralympic wheelchair rugby player and the Community Access Navigator at the University of Michigan. As an educator and advocate in adaptive sports and fitness, Chuck discusses the importance of engaging the medical community in adaptive fitness in order to increase engagement between diagnostic practices, disability literature, and lived experiences. He also reflects on his childhood navigating disability and social dynamics, as well as the significance of connecting with others who have the same diagnosis. Brendan and Chuck go over the transition from wheelchair basketball to wheelchair rugby, and Chuck provides an overview of the sport's gameplay and classification system. He highlights the importance of training and physical traits in wheelchair rugby and shares his ex ...