June 25 Event Supports Adaptive Sports Programming
WALLINGFORD, CONNECTICUT, March 1, 2022 – Gaylord Sports Association, Connecticut’s largest adaptive sports program, is offering two sponsorships to out-of-state adaptive athletes aged 16 and older to participate in the June 25th Gaylord Gauntlet.
The Gaylord Gauntlet is an intense 5K obstacle run held on the 400-acre bucolic campus of Gaylord Specialty Healthcare, a nonprofit rehabilitation-focused healthcare system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut.
Now in its eighth year, the 2022 Gaylord Gauntlet will host more than 1,000 able-bodied and adaptive athletes to take on the tough mudder-like race with 23 man-made and natural obstacles. All racers utilize the same obstacles. COVID precautions will be in place throughout the race.
In order to extend the event to a larger audience, the Gaylord Gauntlet is offering sponsorships to two adaptive athletes to cover their race fee and lodging for both the athlete and their support team.
Sponsorship-eligible athletes must be aged 16 or older, reside outside of Connecticut, and must have a permanent physical disability (can be either ambulatory or wheelchair-level athlete) or visual impairment. Disabled military veterans are also highly encouraged to apply!
The sponsorship includes:
- Race entry fees for the athlete and up to four supporting team members.
- Lodging (up to three hotel rooms for the athlete and team members).
- Food stipend for post-event meal for athlete and team.
- Gaylord Gauntlet swag.
Selected athletes will be responsible for all aspects of competing on the course including supplying their own equipment and coordinating teammates who can provide assistance if needed.
Connecticut wheelchair athlete Jillian Harpin, whose participation in the 2018 Gaylord Gauntlet was covered by People Magazine, said that completing all of the obstacles was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences she has ever had.
Harpin, who often travels to out-of-state adaptive sporting programs and will again participate in the 2022 Gauntlet, encourages others to apply for sponsorship of the unique, one-of-a-kind race.
“The Gaylord Gauntlet changed my life,” she said. “It sparked a passion in me! Since then I’ve made it my mission to try as many ‘impossible’ tasks and competitions to prove what’s possible from a wheelchair.”
Watch Jillian Harpin participate in the 2018 Gaylord Gauntlet here.
To learn more about the Gaylord Gauntlet, visit www.gaylordgauntlet.org. Those with additional questions can reach the Gaylord Sports Association at sports@gaylord.org.
About Gaylord Sports Association:
The Gaylord Sports Association provides adaptive sports and recreation programs to adults with a permanent physical disability or visual impairment throughout Connecticut and the Northeast. With opportunities to participate in 15 adaptive sports throughout the year ranging from skiing to adaptive rock climbing, the Gaylord Sports Association's goal is to empower individuals to embrace new challenges and reach beyond the barriers to discover what is possible through adaptive sports.
About Gaylord Specialty Healthcare:
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is a rehabilitation-focused, nonprofit health system headquartered in Wallingford, Connecticut, that provides inpatient and outpatient care for people at every point in their journey from illness or injury to maximum recovery.
Gaylord Specialty Healthcare is anchored by Gaylord Hospital, a long-term acute care hospital, and includes Gaylord Outpatient Services and Gaylord Physical Therapy for patients who require diagnosis and treatment on an outpatient basis. Gaylord's Milne Institute for Healthcare Innovation is a hub for accelerating world-class rehabilitative research, technology development and innovation to improve the quality of life and function of people around the world. Together, these entities deliver a complete continuum of rehabilitative care driven by clinical experience, innovation and human compassion.