APRIL 2024 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT

ABOUT THE ATHLETE

Name: Tayla Gassman

Age: 15

Sports Played: Adaptive Track & Field, Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Softball, Adaptive Powerlifting & Adaptive Taekwondo

Home State: Minnesota

Tayla Gassman is an exceptional adaptive athlete and scholarship applicant, born with spina bifida and demonstrating unparalleled dedication across multiple sports. Excelling nationally in adaptive track & field, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair softball, adaptive powerlifting, and adaptive taekwondo, Tayla has shown remarkable prowess, achieving top rankings and numerous titles. Beyond her athletic commitments, Tayla actively contributes to her community by coaching younger athletes and volunteering her time extensively. Her academic goals are as ambitious as her athletic ones, aiming for a college degree in a math-related field, ideally connected to sports data analytics. This scholarship will support her participation in the Move United Track and Field Nationals, a critical step toward achieving her dreams of college athletics and potentially the Paralympics.

“Sports help take my mind off all my medical issues. There isn’t a day that goes by that I’m not in constant pain either from my hips not sitting in their sockets and the implications of that or the headaches that I deal with that never go away. To have something that allows me to focus on it and not on the pain is extremely important to me.”

Tayla Gassman, Adaptive Athlete