Wonder makes us refuse to sit on the sidelines.

Adaptive Athletics at Arizona is the largest collegiate-based program in the United States, providing disability resources to athletes across a variety of sports, including basketball, track, rugby, tennis and golf. Students have access to a specially outfitted fitness center, wheelchair maintenance, training and academic workshops. And in the program’s 44-year history, 34 athletes, including Poist, have competed in Paralympic sports.

After losing her mobility at age 7, Poist discovered wheelchair basketball in high school. It was there she was recruited to the university. "I played for nine years as part of the team,” Poist says. “In 2012, I made my first Paralympic team.”She went on to compete in the 2012 London Games and won the gold medal in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro. “Before I played basketball, I was struggling with being disabled,” Poist says.

“The Adaptive Athletics program gave me the opportunity to go to school while playing sports and doing what I love. It also made me realize that life goes on, and there are other people just like me living and pursuing their dreams.