LIVE QUICKIE BLOG

The ancient Chinese sage Confucius is often credited with the saying "choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." While this is a nice sentiment and maybe true to some degree, it's often difficult to know if you will like a career until you start down that path.

Growing up, I first wanted to be an artist. I then wanted to be an orthodontist, then an elementary school teacher. I settled on physical therapist when I entered high school. Ironically, I desired to help people with disabilities.

My name is Shirka Shuriye and I have had the great fortune to champion the Schools Program for Wheelchair Basketball Canada. This program is designed to increase awareness about wheelchair basketball, promote physical activity for youth, and share powerful messages about inclusion in sport and in everyday life.

Moving out from your parents' home is a rite of passage for almost everyone. For some, they can't wait to get out there on their own. Others prefer to stay as long as possible until their parents force them out. For people with severe physical disabilities like me, moving out may seem impossible. For some of those people like me, it can be done!

Adaptive sports play a vital role in the lives of kids who use wheelchairs. I learned this firsthand growing up with spina bifida and being exposed to numerous adaptive sports opportunities. Now I see it in action every day as the Executive Director of ABLE Youth, a youth wheelchair sports and independence nonprofit in Nashville, Tennessee.