EMPOWERING ADAPTIVE SPORTS AT PURDUE

Founded in 2020 by Leony Boudreau, a Purdue biomedical engineering graduate, RIISE was born from the vision of fostering an adaptive sports movement at Purdue. Inspired by the original Wheel RIISE event in 2019—where the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign wheelchair basketball team showcased their skills—Leony established RIISE to continue this vital mission.

Now, we’re dedicated to hosting the annual Wheel RIISE event and expanding our initiatives to include other events on campus and innovative engineering projects at the intersection of sports and accessibility. We can’t wait for our next Wheel RIISE event in April 2025, where we’ll celebrate adaptive sport excellence and unveil our latest engineering projects focused on disability equipment and accessibility!

WHY YOUR SUPPORT MATTERS

At RIISE, we’re committed to addressing the challenges faced by the disabled community through innovative engineering solutions. By donating to our current projects, you can have a direct impact on the lives of individuals like:

• Terry, a paraplegic member of the Lafayette Spinners, who dreams of driving a manual car. Your support will help us develop a clutch system tailored for him.
• A Purdue student and participant in the Adaptive CrossFit Games who approached us with the idea for a weightlifting grip that can be used independently, allowing her to exercise with confidence and autonomy.
• Craig, an adaptive curler, who has shared ideas for improving accessibility in adaptive curling. We’re working on an accessible grip for curling sticks and a simple way to attach them to wheelchairs, making the sport more inclusive for everyone.

Many different people will benefit from these donations. We adopt a people-first approach, where we strive to start every project by connecting with the disabled community and working together to develop innovative and personal solutions. Additionally, the RIISE members working on these projects will gain valuable real-world engineering experience. Many of our members are freshmen, and this will be their first opportunity to model and prototype an actual design.

HOW WE WILL USE YOUR DONATIONS

Every dollar you donate will go directly towards funding our engineering projects and providing students with the resources they need to succeed, including:

• Materials and Tools: We need essential resources to help our students develop prototypes that can improve accessibility in adaptive sports.
• Technical Support: Your contributions will enable us to offer students a hands-on experience that enhances their technical abilities and fosters a strong foundation in engineering design.

Thank you for considering supporting RIISE!