The Triumph Foundation kicked off the seventh annual Wheelchair Sports Festival at the Santa Clarita Sports Complex Saturday morning.

Over 1,000 athletes are estimated to compete in several sporting events during the two-day exhibition, which will include hockey, basketball, quad rugby, handcycling, SCUBA, track and field and skating, all played from a wheelchair.

“The best part is that everyone gets to participate,” said Andrew Skinner, founder of Triumph Foundation. “It doesn’t matter if you’re on a team or if you have equipment or if you have a disability. Everyone who comes is able to enjoy the games together.”

The Wheelchair Sports Festival is part of the Paralympic Gateway to Gold, a talent identification program that introduces Paralympic-eligible athletes to sports, acts as a pipeline to competition and is often the first step toward the podium representing U.S. Paralympic Team.

Every year, Triumph Foundation has presented this sporting event for individuals with disabilities to engage with others like them and provide a learning opportunity to the public about those living with spinal cord injuries.

The nonprofit organization has been assisting individuals with Spinal Cord Injuries (SCI) in the Santa Clarita community since 2008, with a mission to inspire them to push through their disability and move forward with their lives.

The foundation focuses on those affected by SCI that causes paralysis by reaching out to a diverse group of children, adults and veterans.

For 10 years, the Triumph Foundation has partnered up with various sponsors and supporters, all with a mission to better the lives of SCI patients by providing numerous services and resources.

Skinner decided to launch the nonprofit in August 2008 after he made tremendous strides in his own recovery from SCI disability.

Skinner was injured on Nov. 26, 2004 in a snowboarding accident while on vacation in Lake Arrowhead, Calif.

Skinner fell and broke three parts of his C-Spine in his neck, suffered a SCI and was instantly paralyzed from the neck down.

Since Skinner’s injury, he has gone through several surgeries and physical therapy sessions, which helped him surpass doctors’ initial projections.

After making unexpected milestones in recovery through the help of physical therapy trainers and exercise physiologists, he decided to do something to give back to the SCI community.

“This is Triumph’s major event of the year giving people with disabilities a chance to push the limits of their ability, play games with friends and family on a level playing ground, and enhances their quality of life through the benefit of exercise, sports and fitness,” said Skinner. “People travel from all over California to attend this event and we are excited with the anticipation of over 1,000 people to participate this year.”

The organization to date has brought assistance to SCI patients in the form of grants, home remodels, care baskets and hospital visits, and provided accessible vehicles to individuals throughout Southern California.

The sports festival is scheduled to continue into the afternoon of Sunday, April 29.

For more information about the 7th Annual Wheelchair Sports Festival, click here.

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