Wheelchair sport can increase confidence and self-esteem, and it may provide people with a positive outlook on life. There is a wheelchair sport for almost everyone who wants to participate and for any level of expertise, from novice through to Paralympic competition.

Many people find it difficult to relate to someone who has a physical disability. This lack of understanding can create additional challenges for people with disabilities. If society responded more adequately to people who have impairments, they would not experience nearly as many challenges and limitations

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People who use wheelchairs have a greater opportunity than ever before to be physically active. Scientific research continues to refine knowledge about maximizing training for those with spinal cord injuries; cutting-edge adaptive technology continues to afford more innovative and efficient movement possibilities; and opportunities for recreation and sport for athletes at all levels, from novice to expert, continue to expand worldwide.

Wheelchair Sport provides coaches, practitioners, and athletes with the information they need to compete and succeed in wheelchair sports. Written by top coaches, athletes, sport scientists, and specialists in sports medicine and physical therapy who work with wheelchair athletes, this resource offers

an explanation of the physiological differences between able-bodied and disabled athletes and the physiological adaptations that result from training;

guidelines for training that are customized to wheelchair athletes’ unique needs, including strength and conditioning, nutrition and hydration, and mental wellness;

tips on the practical aspects of competing in wheelchair sports, such as optimizing chair set-up and preparing for travel; and

expert guidance in developing top-notch training programs for athletes at all skill levels.

This book will help coaches and athletes understand the many benefits of wheelchair sports and maximize training for their chosen sport. Top coaches and athletes, including Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson and Peter Norfolk, offer advice on improving performance and delivering optimal support for wheelchair athletes.

Each chapter in part I delves into sport science issues as they affect wheelchair athletes, providing practical tips for athletes and coaches along the way. These chapters focus on physiological considerations, strength and conditioning, body composition and nutrition, and medical and practical concerns related to traveling and chair configuration.

Part II offers tactics and drills for tennis, rugby, basketball, racing, and hand cycling. Each chapter presents background information on the sport, tactical advice, and drills that will help athletes improve training and performance in competition. These chapters also include sport-specific training programs.

In addition, Wheelchair Sport helps readers understand the psychology of working with wheelchair athletes and describes the coaching attributes required for successful coaching of disabled athletes, from the novice level to the Paralympic level. Readers also gain insight into how the best wheelchair athletes became successful.

Wheelchair Sport equips coaches, teachers, and wheelchair athletes to develop their minds and bodies to their potential and enjoy their participation in sports.

Vicky Goosey-Tolfrey, PhD,is a senior lecturer in exercise
physiology and director of the Peter Harrison Centre for Disability
Sport at LoughboroughUniversity in Leicestershire, UK. Her work in 1994
with Prof. Ian Campbell and Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson sparked her
interest in disability sport, and she went on to earn her PhD in sport
science from ManchesterMetropolitanUniversity five years later.

Dr. Goosey-Tolfrey attended the Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 Paralympic
Games with the Great Britain wheelchair racing and wheelchair basketball
teams, respectively, and was the lead physiology consultant for the
British Paralympic Association for the Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008
Games. In her leisure time, she enjoys being with her family, golfing,
and watching films.