Para Sport Programs
Challenge Alaska's ParaSport Programs promote skill development, competition, and healthy lifestyles for youth and adults with physical and visual disabilities. Our programs run side-by-side with traditional athletics.
The Practice of Recreational Therapy
All Anchorage program staff are Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialists (CTRS) with over 50 years of combined experience.
Recreational therapy uses adaptive sports and recreation as therapeutic tools to build confidence, increase mobility, create supporting communities, and improve overall quality of life.
Becoming involved starts with an assessment where we identify barriers, set personal athletic goals, select custom-fitting assistive devices, and create a roadmap to support your active lifestyle.
Program Contact
For inquiries about Para Sport, contact our Anchorage coordinator:
Sports for Physical Disabilities
Sled Hockey
Allows players with mobility limitations to play ice hockey in custom skate sleds with dual pick-tipped sticks. Focuses on fun, teamwork, and league competition.
Para Cycling (Road & Offroad)
Utilizes handcycles, recumbent trikes, and tandems on Anchorage's paved trail system and off-road paths.
Adaptive Rock Climbing
Climbing clinics using customized pulley and harness setups to support climbers of various mobility levels.
Gears & Gravel
A challenging 5-day off-road adaptive mountain biking adventure trip through Alaska's backcountry.
Wheelchair Basketball, Lacrosse & Tennis
Fast-paced team sports focusing on skills, strategic maneuvering, and community tournaments.
Denali National Park Trip
A unique 5-day summer outdoor recreation and camping experience inside Denali National Park.
Sports for Visual Impairments
5-A-Side Football (Blind Soccer)
Exhilarating soccer played with an audible ball that rattles, allowing visually impaired players to track it by sound.
Goalball
An official Paralympic team sport for athletes with visual impairments, playing with a bell-filled ball on an indoor court.
Beep Baseball
A variation of baseball utilizing beeping balls and buzzing bases for blind and low-vision athletes.
Para Nordic Skiing & Biathlon
Cross-country skiing and precision biathlon shooting using acoustic target indicators for blind competitors.
Sled, Special, and Blind Hockey
Four Disciplines of Disabled Hockey
Challenge Alaska provides comprehensive access to ice hockey. We provide all necessary protective gear and ice sleds for players:
- Sled Hockey: Players sit in dual-blade skate sleds and use twin sticks with metal picks to propel themselves and shoot.
- Blind Hockey: Played with a larger, slower, sound-making metal puck that rattles so players can track it aurally. Features custom low-profile nets.
- Special Hockey: Adapted skates and instruction for players with cognitive or developmental challenges, utilizing volunteers and mentors.
- Warrior Hockey: Exclusively for wounded or disabled U.S. military veterans.
Interested in Volunteering?
We rely on volunteers for hiking, cycling, biathlon, and hockey support.