Last weekend, Rise Above and Penn State Adaptive Athletics were proudly represented at the Move United/Hartford Nationals in Michigan, where Head Coach Brenna O'Connor and Assistant Coach Tim Henn led four outstanding student-athletes: Esther-Faith Henn, Jack Cunningham, Max Malec, and Lucas Resch. Their performances were nothing short of exceptional. The team's success extended well beyond the medal podium. Both Jack Cunningham and Lucas Resch earned qualifying marks for nex

Samantha McMinn started playing wheelchair basketball at age six with the Bennett Blazers, where she gained experience playing multiple positions. That early start turned into a five-year collegiate career at the University of Arizona, where she competed on both academic and athletic scholarships. She served as team captain of the women's wheelchair basketball team and earned multiple Academic All-American honors. Today, Samantha is helping build the Penn State Adaptive Athle

Penn State Adaptive Athletics had a strong week at the GLASA Great Lakes Games in Illinois this June. From June 3 to June 7, Max Malec, Lucas Resch, and Esther-Faith Henn competed at the GLASA Games near Chicago. Together, the three athletes brought home medals in track and field events, with season bests, personal records, and a new GLASA Games meet record among the highlights Lucas Resch Lucas took first place and broke a GLASA Games meet record in the F63 shot put with a t

Penn State Rise Above was recently featured on WTAJ's Studio 814 in a segment about the July 25 We Are Family event at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. The segment featured co-host Sue Paterno along with board members Bernie Ryan and Alvin de Levie. Together, they discussed the mission behind Rise Above and the full lineup for the evening. They also discussed the live performance by Grammy Award winner and Altoona native Mike Reid, and the introduction of Penn Sta

Zane Hummel was always an athlete. He excelled in the long jump and sprints, broke school records, and was on track to compete at Penn State. Then a motorcycle accident changed everything, resulting in the amputation of his leg. Penn State Student Media's "After the Whistle" series recently told his story. The feature covers his recovery, his path to Penn State's adaptive program, and what he's working toward now. Zane is back on the track, training with teammates, and settin

Last month marked Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, a time dedicated to elevating stories, advancing understanding, and spotlighting innovation. On the heels of that observance, a meaningful connection unfolded on May 5 at Innovation Park that may shape the future of adaptive athletics at Penn State and beyond. The Future of Adaptive Athletics A small but purposeful delegation from Penn State Adaptive Athletics made the visit to Xmorphe, a forward-thinking prosth

There is a phrase so woven into the fabric of Penn State that it precedes introductions, crosses generations, and travels with alumni to every corner of the world. Two words that carry the weight of a covenant: We Are… You finish it without thinking: Penn State. But this summer, as Rise Above—Friends of Adaptive Athletics at Penn State—gathers for its third annual fundraiser, chaired by Sue Paterno and Dana Harris, those two words open into something larger. Something that ex

An evening supporting Penn State Adaptive Athletics Penn State is family. That’s the theme of this year’s Rise Above Fundraiser, and it captures something true about this community and what it means to show up for our student-athletes. Save the date: Saturday, July 25, 2026. Rise Above, Friends of Penn State Adaptive Athletics, will host its 3rd Annual Fundraiser at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center. The evening will be hosted by Sue Paterno and Dana Harris, with ke

Rise Above was founded in 2022 out of urgency. Penn State's Ability Athletics program, once nationally recognized under the leadership of Coach Teri Jordan , had gone quiet during the pandemic. When Jordan retired, the silence deepened. A group of alumni, Paralympians, and advocates came together not just to save the program, but to reimagine what it could become. What We Are Building The result is a revitalized Penn State Adaptive Athletics Program, a fully independent 501(c

By the time Angel Guzman was five years old, sports had already begun shaping the course of his life. Born with Spina Bifida Myelomeningocele, hydrocephalus, bladder dysfunction, clubfoot, and strabismus, Angel began using a wheelchair at an early age. From the moment of diagnosis, his parents, Jose and Erika Guzman, were told his future would come with limitations, especially when it came to mobility and long-term health. “At two years old, he got his first wheelchair,” Jose