Inspiring Wheelchair BMX (WCMX) Demo & Clinic Added to Road to X Games Event

The Boise Parks and Recreation Department is proud to announce that the Challenged Athletes Foundation- IDAHO (CAF) will be partnering with the City of Boise at the upcoming Road to X Games: Boise Park Qualifier on June 28 and 29.

CAF recently launched a regional initiative in Idaho to get more individuals with permanent physical challenges access to sports and fitness. The nonprofit organization provides individual grants for adaptive sports equipment, training and competition expenses, and will partner with local community organizations to host adaptive sports clinics.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with this outstanding and inspiring organization,” said Doug Holloway, Boise Parks and Recreation director. “Their mission aligns perfectly with our team’s goal to provide recreational opportunities for people of all ages and abilities – and it’s especially relevant to our Adaptive Recreation programming.”

Boise Parks and Recreation’s Adaptive Recreation AdVenture Program provides a wide-range of recreational, social and educational activities for youth and adults with disabilities.

CAF will host an exciting wheelchair BMX (WCMX) demo on Friday, June 28 featuring two impressive and inspiring athletes: Christiaan “Otter” Bailey and Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham. Both are world-class athletes who skate in specially-designed, heavy-duty, super-suspension wheelchairs and perform and compete at the international level. The sport of WCMX combines wheelchairs and BMX to bring adaptive sport to the local skate parks and the action sports scene.

Aaron, who was born with Spina Bifida, was the first WCMX athlete to land a backflip in a wheelchair. He’s performed with the Nitro Circus and is a four-time winner of the WCMX World Championships.

Christiaan was a professional skateboarder and surfer before a skateboarding crash paralyzed him from the waist down. He is a 5x USA Surfing National Champion, 7x ISA Worlds Medalist and Captain of the USA Olympic Surfing Team. Christiaan was selected, along with Aaron, to showcase the sport of WCMX during the Vancouver Paralympic Opening Ceremonies.

Click below for video of both athletes demonstrating this powerful sport:

Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2D6Iy7m7qI&feature=youtu.be

Christiaan “Otter” Bailey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0fpTUukQsM

The WCMX demo will take place immediately following the completion of Road to X Games qualifying rounds on Friday, June 28, which are scheduled to wrap up at 4:30 p.m.

Christiaan and Aaron will showcase the sport and then serve as coaches and mentors for local wheelchair athletes to learn alongside them using specialized WCMX chairs, donated by Box wheelchairs. Boise Parks and Recreation will also be inviting Adaptive Recreation participants to learn more about the sport. The clinic will be held immediately after the demo wraps up, around 6 p.m.

The demo and clinic will be free and open to the public.

“This will be a unique opportunity to witness the skill and excitement of WCMX through some of the top athletes in the world, and also a way for people of all ages and levels to see what’s possible for them in this fast-growing sport,” said Jennifer Skeesick, Challenged Athletes Foundation Regional Director of Idaho. “We are thrilled to bring this exciting demo and clinic to Boise, and to continue working with partners like Boise Parks & Recreation to grow awareness of and access to adaptive sports in Idaho.”

Friday, June 28 Road to X Games: Boise Park Qualifier schedule of events at Rhodes Skate Park:

• 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.: BMX Park Qualification
• 12:30 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.: Women’s Skateboard Park Qualification
• 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Men’s Skateboard Park Qualification
• 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.: Challenged Athletes Foundation Demo and Clinic

All events on Friday, June 28 at Rhodes Skate Park are free and open to the public.

To learn more about the Challenged Athletes Foundation in Idaho, click here.