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Sports Transform Lives of Athletes With Differing Abilities Sports Transform Lives of Athletes with Differing Abilities

By Krystin Lilly

EMILY COFFEY: OUR SPORTS REPORTER KRYSTIN LILLY HAD THE PLEASURE OF SPEAKING WITH INSPIRING ATHLETE OF A ROWING TEAM ALL THE WAY IN COSTA MESA, CALIFORNIA. HE SAYS BEING APART OF A SPORTS TEAM IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY BECAUSE HE GETS TO DO WHAT HE LOVES BUT BECAUSE OF THE SKILLS IT TAUGHT HIM OVER THE YEARS.

KRYSTIN LILLY: MEET THE ORANGE COAST COLLEGE PIRATES
A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP WINNING ROWING TEAM
THIS ISN’T AN ORDINARY TEAM; ITS A COMMUNITY FOR ATHLETES OF ALL ABILITIES

COLIN STIPE: I have uhh autism

KRYSTIN LILLY: STIPE’S WAS A BOW SEAT ROWER FOR THE PIRATES FOR SEVERAL YEARS. HIS JOURNEY BEGAN IN 2017, A TIME THAT CHANGED HIS LIFE

COLIN STIPE: For the first time I started to make close friendships and really was able to able to socialize.

KRYSTIN LILLY: SOMETHING THAT STRIPE SAYS HE OFTEN STRUGGLED WITH.
ACCORDING TO THE CDC, PHYSICAL ACTIVITY CAN HELP SUPPORT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES THROUGH DAILY LIFE AND INDEPENDENCE. JUST AS STIPE’S LIFE HAS TRANSFORMED, HERE IN SYRACUSE, THE CHALLENGERS TEAM HAS TRANSFORMED THE LIVES OF ATHLETES WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES. SPECIFICALLY FOR PLAYER DIMENICO CAMBARER

DOM CAMBARERA: My son Diminico has autism spectrum disorder

KRYSTIN LILLY: AS A RESULT, HE HAS DIFFICULTY COORIDNATING GROSS AND FINE MOTOR MOVEMNETS BUT THESE CHALLENGES NEVER STOPPED DOMINICO.

DOM CAMBARERA: This will be his 23rd season, I think when he’s playing. he is able to swing a bat, hit a baseball throw a baseball catch a baseball, run the base.

KRYSTIN LILLY: AND 21 YEARS LATER, CAMBARERAS JOURNEY AS A VOLUNTEER PARENT, BLOSSOMED INTO A CAREER THAT LED TO THE CREATION OF THE OLDEST AND LARGEST CHALLENGER DIVISION IN THE COUNTRY ALL AT THE CARRIER PARK, A PLACE WHERE ATHLETES CAN PLAY AND BECOME THE BEST VERSIONS OF THEMSELVES.

EMILY COFFEY: TONIGHT THE SYRACUSE CHALLENGERS BASEBALL SEASON IS IN FULL SWING AS OPENING DAY IS HERE. GATES OPEN AT FOUR THIRTY AND THE FIRST GAME IS AT FIVE THIRTY IN CARRIER PARK.

SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) — Sports have long been celebrated for their ability to bring people together, foster camaraderie, and promote physical fitness. However, for athletes with disabilities, the benefits of sports extend far beyond the field. Through their involvement in sports, athletes experience profound personal growth, improved social skills, and enhanced independence.

Colin Stipe, a former bow seat rower for the Orange Coast College Pirates, shared his journey of transformation through sports. Stipe, who has autism, joined the Pirates in 2017, marking the beginning of a life-changing experience.

For many years, he struggled with social interactions and forming close friendships. However, being part of a team changed everything for him.

“For the first time, I started to make close friendships and really was able to socialize,” Stipe said.

The Orange Coast College Pirates, a national championship-winning rowing team, is not just an ordinary team. It is a community for athletes of all abilities, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive. Not only did the rowing team impact Stipe’s life, but it inspired him to become a coach.

Just as Stipe’s life has been transformed through rowing, athletes with differing abilities in Syracuse have found their own haven in the Challengers Baseball team.

The team has been instrumental in improving the lives of its players, particularly for one player, Domenico Cambarera.

“My son Domenico has autism spectrum disorder,” said Dom Cambarera, father of Dominico. “He has difficulty coordinating gross and fine motor movements.”

Despite challenges Domenico has faced over the years, he’s never allowed them to hold him back.

“This will be his 23rd season,” Cambarera said.

The Challengers team, based at Carrier Park, has not only transformed the lives of its players but has also grown to become the oldest and largest Challenger Division in the country. Cambarera’s role as a volunteer parent has blossomed into a career dedicated to creating a supportive environment where athletes can play and become the best versions of themselves.

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