16 wheelchair basketball teams meet for Bridge City Classic in Beaverton

BEAVERTON Ore. (KPTV) - This was a big weekend for wheelchair basketball as 16 teams came together in Beaverton for the 14th annual Bridge City Classic.

The event, hosted by Adaptive Sports Northwest, was the home opening weekend for the Portland Wheel Blazers at the Beaverton Hoop YMCA.

Competition, intensity and opportunity is the name of the wheelchair basketball game.

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Evita Rush with the Wheel Blazers said the team has good comradery.

“We encourage each other and it’s a great organization to be under with Adaptive Sports Northwest who are very helpful with breaking down barriers to help us compete, to keep us competing,” Rush said.

Rush has been hooping in a chair for more than two decades.

“Just getting to play, period,” Rush said. “I love the sport a lot and seeing the new people, this is their first tournament for some of them so it’s exciting to see and it’s exciting to see the little kids as well. When I was a kid, I didn’t get to play a team sport with my high school, so this is a great outlet for me - to get to enjoy the sport that I love.”

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Justin Curry is new to wheelchair basketball.

“It took a little bit but when you are in a day chair at home all the time, it’s fairly easy but anybody can come and play,” Curry said.

Young, old and in the middle, Adaptive Sports Northwest is making sure all who want in will fit in.

“I only started following this sport recently and I wish I knew about it when I was younger because this is a great community, and more people need to be aware of it,” Curry said.

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