Norwalk physical therapy practice helps disabled athletes to NYC

At this time last year, Michael Sebastian was tapering down in his training to prepare for the TCS New York City Marathon. Now, the lifelong Norwalk resident and owner of CT Sports Physical Therapy and Wellness is ramping up his efforts in support of disabled athletes, by sponsoring the Achilles Connecticut International-Connecticut Chapter team at this same, world-renowned event.

“At last year’s New York City Marathon, I fundraised for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and it was a really amazing experience,” he says. “So many people, but one thing that I noticed were the Achilles athletes and guides, with those bright-yellow shirts.”

When one of Michael’s clients mentioned that the Connecticut Chapter of Achilles International needed a sponsor to offset the costs of sending athletes and guides to the 2018 marathon, he says, “I couldn’t not support them.”

Accomplishment and opportunities

Achilles International is a nonprofit, headquartered in New York City, that helps people with disabilities participate in mainstream athletics, overcome limitations and boost self-esteem. The Connecticut Chapter primarily participates in races throughout Connecticut and New York, but also provides funding and guides for athletes who request support outside the team’s race calendar.

Five members of the Achilles Connecticut team will compete in New York on November 4, with the support of CT Sports PT and Moody’s Corporation. Three of the athletes have disabilities that require push-rim or hand-crank cycles, one is visually impaired, and one is competing in the ambulatory disabled division.

One athlete, Stuart Sherman, of Bristol, CT, was diagnosed with ALS in 2011 after a lifetime of being physically active (including placing nationally in competitive artistic roller skating, alongside his wife, Celeste). He notes, "Achilles has given me a sense of accomplishment and opened up opportunities to be competitive."

Michael Tubiak – a Naugatuck resident and former graphic designer until retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic visual disorder, made his work impossible – stresses that the organization is as much about the camaraderie and social support as the physical benefits. Member-guides will help him navigate the 26.2-mile course.

“Achilles is about just showing what anyone can do,” he says. “Whatever the condition, there’s always a way to get things done, and there are awesome people out there supporting us.”

(pictured from the 2017 TCS New York City Marathon: Team Harry McKinstry; Michael Sebastian)

To learn more about Achilles Connecticut, visit https://www.achillesct.org/.