By Josh Graves
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Athletes Serving Athletes serve children who suffer from cerebral palsy and range from 7 to 16 years old. It gives them the opportunity to be a part of the community and meet new people. ASA began its spring race schedule after a three-month break on March 10.
“The athletes get to do something that is mainstream with their community, and it’s really fun,” said David Slomkowski, the president of ASA. “They get to meet other people that are out of their inner circle and we hope they feel loved and accepted.”
ASA was created by Slomkowski to give children a chance to be active and part of a team. It was created 11 years ago and was the first organization in Baltimore to have an athlete-assisted team. An athlete-assisted team is a two-person team where one able-bodied person assists another athlete who has a disability.
Slomkowski started this organization after seeing an article on Rick and Dick Hoyt. Rick Hoyt has cerebral palsy and his father, Dick Hoyt, ran a marathon with Rick in a stroller. The story inspired Slomkowski to look in the area for duo teams, but there weren’t any.
“With me being so blessed with the body I have, I went out and looked and saw no one was doing duo teams so that’s when I started ASA,” said Slomkowski.
Slomkowski visited the William S. Baer School that specializes in kids with disabilities. After his visit, he partnered with the Baer School and the two have been intertwined since.
The organization is free to enter. The funds are taken in by ASA from donations from outside parties and sponsors. These donations cover transportation, equipment, runner fees and payroll.
The races take place mostly in Maryland, but as ASA has gotten bigger it has branched out to Pennsylvania and other neighboring states. The races vary from race to race. The races go from 5Ks, half marathons, and triathlons.
The abled-bodied athletes pushing these athletes are called wingman. The athlete with the disability sits in a jogger, or an advanced stroller, that the wingman pushes from start to finish.
“The athletes themselves when they are in the jogger they know that all they have to worry about for the next hour or two is the race,” said Joe Maranto, a wingman captain. “After dealing with these athletes and seeing what they go through, it makes you think, what do I have to complain about.”
ASA has its challenges. The organization sometimes has trouble raising enough money and getting volunteers. In addition, it has a small staff, which makes it difficult to stay organized.
“Some challenges that we experience just like every non-profit is funds and from each year you don’t know who is going to come back,” said Sarah Slomkowski, who is the director of operations of ASA.
Before going into a race, ASA requires a training run with the wingman and athletes. It gives both the runner and the athletes a sense of comfort before the race. As the event is going on, ASA encourages people to go at their own pace just as long as they finish.
ASA races run from March to late December, with athletes participating in over 100 different events.
ASA has 122 disabled athletes. The group spends about $4,000 a year per athlete to cover the cost of transportation, racing fees, and racing equipment for the athletes.
Wingman consist of mainly staff members, parents of the athletes, and volunteers that catch word of ASA. As of right now they are no longer taking in any wingman because of how overcrowded they are and now have a waitlist.
“I am not surprised that it has taken off like this because of the population of kids in the area that have a disability or in children that are in wheelchairs,” Slomkowski said. “This is an outlet for them to get outside and be a part of the community.”