Coaching the Whole Athlete: Mental Performance in Adaptive Sport

Athletes perform at their best when mental skills are developed alongside physical ones. In this session, attendees will explore strategies for building confidence, managing pressure, fostering resilience, and supporting athletes through the mental aspects of training and competition.

Liz Robakiewicz, MS, CMPC
Founder, Momentum Mental Performance

Liz Robakiewicz is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) and founder of Momentum Mental Performance. She works with athletes, teams, and performers to strengthen confidence, resilience, and performance under pressure. Drawing on her background as a Division I soccer player and her master’s degree in Applied Sport Psychology, Liz helps athletes develop the mental skills needed to succeed in sport and beyond.

Planning Your Fundraising Calendar

Explore practical strategies for building a thoughtful, sustainable fundraising calendar for your organization. This session will help attendees consider how to align fundraising activities, donor engagement, and organizational priorities throughout the year to support long-term growth.

Hillary Dater
Founder, Warm River Consulting

Hillary Dater is the founder of Warm River Consulting, where she helps nonprofits, funders, and communities work together to create lasting change. With 35 years of experience across philanthropy, fundraising, nonprofit leadership, strategic grantmaking, and community development, Hillary has led multimillion-dollar campaigns, developed major-gift programs, and coached nonprofit executives, staff, boards, and volunteers. She holds a master’s degree in Philanthropic Studies from Indiana University’s Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

Programming and Competition for the Medically Complex Athlete presented by TRAILS

Explore considerations for creating sport and recreation opportunities for athletes with complex physical disabilities and high support needs. This session will examine approaches to programming, equipment, and competition while sharing perspectives from the TRAILS program and work to expand opportunities for independent participation.

Tanja Kari
Program Director, TRAILS, University of Utah Health

Tanja Kari is the TRAILS Program Director with University of Utah Health and an active technical classifier for IPC Para Nordic Skiing. A Paralympic gold medalist who represented Finland in cross-country skiing from 1992–2002, she holds a master’s degree in Sports Sciences and a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education. Tanja also leads a global initiative to expand TetraSki opportunities for individuals with complex physical disabilities and Paralympic athletes with high support needs.

Paralympic Panel

Hear firsthand from Paralympic champions as they discuss their athletic journeys, overcoming challenges, and the role adaptive sport has played in shaping their lives. This panel will explore leadership, resilience, mentorship, and the importance of creating opportunities for future generations of athletes.

Community Accessibility: Collaboration and Participation

Learn how communities can move beyond basic ADA compliance to create more accessible and inclusive experiences for people with disabilities. This conversation will look at how the City of Boise and Cross Disability Task Force (CDTF) work together to identify barriers, elevate community perspectives, and strengthen accessibility across Boise. Attendees will also learn about opportunities to get involved, provide feedback, and access ADA resources and training.

Discussion Leaders

Heather M. Zeitlin, M.Ed.
Community Accessibility Program Manager, City of Boise

Dana Gover, MPA, ADAC
ADA Training and Technical Assistance Consultant, Northwest ADA Center-Idaho

Orthotic & Prosthetic Care in Adaptive Sport

Consider the role of orthotic and prosthetic care in supporting participation in sport and fitness. This conversation will examine how equipment designed for everyday mobility may perform differently during physical activity and how thoughtful design, alignment, and ongoing clinical support can help individuals participate safely and confidently. Attendees will discuss common challenges, opportunities for collaboration among O&P clinicians, therapists, coaches, and athletes, and practical approaches to optimizing function for sport and fitness.

Discussion Leader

Jaime Purdie
Board-Certified Orthotist and Prosthetist | Certified Kaizen Adaptive Coach

Supporting Rural Adaptive Recreation and Frame Running

Discover ways to increase access to adaptive recreation equipment and assistive technologies through equipment lending, technical assistance, and customization that supports individuals, programs, and schools. This conversation will also introduce Frame Running, an adaptive activity that can help individuals with varying visual or physical disabilities walk or run more easily, for greater distances, and at faster speeds.

Discussion Leaders

Tressa Johnston

Bora Lee, Ed.D., CPACC

Understanding the Paralympic Pipeline

How does an athlete go from discovering adaptive sport to competing at the highest levels of the Paralympic movement? This conversation will explore the U.S. Paralympic pathway, from grassroots programs and adaptive sport organizations to classification, national team development, and the USOPC’s elite pipeline. Attendees will learn where regional providers fit into the athlete journey and explore ways to connect participants with resources and opportunities as they pursue their goals in sport.

Discussion Leader

Travis Ricks
CAF Ambassador, USA Sitting Volleyball National Team member, and Chairman of the AdaptABLE Foundation

Representation Matters: Growing Disability Representation in Coaching

Consider why disability representation matters in coaching and leadership roles across sport and recreation. Attendees will discuss the impact of lived experience in coaching, barriers athletes with disabilities may face when transitioning into coaching, and strategies, resources, and opportunities to develop the next generation of inclusive coaches and mentors.

Discussion Leader

Becki Walters
Recreation therapy professional and coach with experience across triathlon, skiing, and swimming

Trail Access in Action: Resources and Partnerships Expanding Outdoor Recreation

See how resources and partnerships can help increase access to trails and outdoor recreation for people with disabilities. Participants will learn about resources available through the U.S. Forest Service and other organizations and hear how the Forest Service, Higher Ground, and the Sawtooth Conservation and Recreation Alliance are collaborating to reinvigorate a primitive accessible trail in Idaho’s White Clouds.

Discussion Leader

Kayla Pedrolini
Director of Adaptive Sports, Higher Ground