Image: BORP logo in black, a stylized drawing of person in a moving wheelchair plus the words BORP adaptive sports and recreation.

In This Issue: Letter from Rick Smith | Fitness Fun via Zoom | Adventures & Outings | Cycling | Team Sports | Indoor Rock Climbing | Access NorCal | Kayaking | 

Transportation: New BORP Bus | Social Media Links | BORP Covid-19 Guidelines | Mission Statement | Office Address

Para leer este boletín en español, haga clic aquí.

2022: BORP Rebounds

As I reflect on the year-end, one overarching idea comes to mind: 2022 was a great year, the year BORP really rebounded from the program limitations caused by Covid. While working to restart our existing programming, I am particularly pleased that we were able to expand our menu of sports, recreation, and fitness programs for the disability community (now estimated by over 25% of the population). New activities include wheelchair rugby, kayaking, archery, indoor climbing, and outdoor fitness classes to complement our regular programming.

In total we served over 1,500 individuals with physical disabilities and/or vision impairments. Our participant survey confirmed that participation makes a big difference in the quality of life for our participants. Specifically:

• 68% reported an increased sense of well-being
• 59% reported increased strength or fitness
• 63% felt they had improved mental health health
• Over 75% reported reduced isolation and/or increased sense of belonging and participation in a community
• And 94% rated BORP programs as Excellent or Very Good.  

It is such a pleasure and honor to be part of an organization that makes such a difference for so many people. But, of course, all good things come to an end, and so it is for me. I recently informed the Board of Directors of my plan to step down in 2023. After 45 years of working in the nonprofit sector (11 of those years at BORP) I have decided, with some ambivalence, to join the ranks of the retired. The Board of Driectors has organized a Search Committee and we expect to announce the job opening in January. Since I am not in a rush to leave, I will support the Board throughout the search process and work to assure a smooth leadership transition. Big thanks to everyone in the BORP community for making BORP such a terrific place to work.

So, it's on to 2023 and here’s wishing everyone a joyful, healthy, and peaceful holiday and New Year, 

Rick Smith

Executive Director

Online Fitness Spotlight:

Fitness Options in Winter

Let’s face it, the holiday season, though full of fun, excitement and good cheer, can also be stressful and sometimes lonely. Whatever you may be experiencing, BORP’s online fitness classes have you covered. Need to slow down? Check out our classes geared towards mindfulness and breathwork. We have Tai Chi, Yoga, Mindful Movement and Seated Pilates. If you’re looking to have fun and connect with some new friends, Magic Mondays and Rumba with Tina are great options. Maybe you just want to burn off some of those christmas cookies, SitFit, Move to the Beats and Strength Training will get you moving and ready for the next gathering.

Can’t make the class? We have hundreds of classes recorded and available on YouTube! youtube.com/@borpbayarea.

We also have some great options at our fitness studio at the Ed Roberts Campus! Learn more and sign up here.

Can’t make the class? We have hundreds of classes recorded and available on YouTube!

Image: A holiday "elf on the shelf" doll sits in a cross-legged yoga pose on a desk next to a calendar that reads 12 (for December) and "holiday elf-ercise" with images of yoga poses where the calendar days would be.

Upcoming A&O Events

For all A&O events, call or email Lori Gray to confirm your attendance.

lori@borp.org 510-843-4389

Space is limited at all A&O events. Please be sure to sign up early and, if you find you are unable to attend, let us know as soon as possible so that another interested participant has a chance to join the fun.

Virtual Highly Descriptive Museum Tour–Monday, December 12

• Docents from the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will share detailed descriptions and facts about artwork on a chosen theme. Virtual event.
• The theme for December is "Lives of the Ancients." For the ancient people of Egypt, Greece, and Italy, life included death and the afterlife. The stories that are told in their art have their own lives that continue to reverberate over time, beyond the objects themselves and their makers. An Egyptian wall painting will tell us what was important to take to the afterworld. A Cycladic sculpture almost 5,000 years old continues to influence artists today. A version of one of the most famous ancient Roman sculptures is a family story of a father and two sons. A Renaissance Italian ruler is portrayed in marble as a Roman emperor. Join us as we explore these timeless stories.
• Please confirm your spot by 12 noon on Friday, December 9

Volunteers Needed: In-Person Outings for Oakland Youth–Monday, December 19 & Tuesday December 20

• Looking for volunteers that are available to help for a bowling and a movie outing.
• Let Lori know about your interest and availability by Tuesday, December 13 
• These outings are specifically for Oakland Youth participants.

Virtual New Year’s Eve Night Owl Zoom–Saturday, December 31

• Join in on guided outings, games including truth or dare, headband, group storytelling, and ring in the New Year! Virtual event.
• Please email if you’re interested in attending by Friday, December 16

Adaptive Cycling with BORP

Rain or shine, the BORP Cycling Center crew is here for you!

We are excited to have new crew member Eric Schmidt, who as an engineer and funky bike builder is a mechanic extraordinaire! He will get as many of our cycles as possible tuned and overhauled before he goes off to work on his next Doctors Without Borders project early next year.

Terri, Mia, Jorge, Oscar, Bodhi and Liko welcome you to come ride during regular open hours. Rain? No problem, you can still ride just as long as it's a non-electric assist cycle. When it's slow we are busy fixing and refurbishing equipment and facilities. We are always happy to see you.

Adaptive Cycling Center Hours:

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays | Rain or Shine

9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

By appointment only. Contact cycling@borp.org 510-848-2930 to ride

The BORP Adaptive Cycling Center is located at 80 Bolivar Drive, Berkeley

Image 1: Cycling Center staff Oscar is seated in a wheelchair looking at the camera with Dan Pollart, seated on a hand-cycle next to him. Both are in the entrance to the BORP Adaptive Cycling Center with the patio in the background. Image 2, 3-panel image: All three photos are taken at the cycling center patio on a rainy day. Right photo: Dan Pollart, seated in a wheelchair, reaches down to set-up an adaptive cycle. Three transfer chairs are lined up next to the cycle. Middle picture: Cycling Center manager Terri is seen in the Cycling Center patio with the office in the background. Terri is standing with an adaptive cycle and transfer chairs. Right picture: Participant Will Dvorak is in a recumbent cycle.

Wheelchair Basketball

BORP AllStars had a wheelchair basketball tournament in Santa Rosa December 3-4. Everyone involved had a lot of fun and participants all had decent amount of playing time. It was the first tournament of the year for our local teams. On day one, we had a total of 10 players and were one of the biggest teams on the court in terms of participants. Each day we played two 40-minute games. Emily was a great captain for both days. We also had Brad Craven work as a coach subbing people in and out. Everyone worked together well.

While we ended up losing both games on Saturday. On Sunday, we played a very experienced team in our first game and played excellent defense, but we still lost that one. Our last game of the weekend was a completely different story. The team shook off the game jitters and got things going. The game was full of amazing plays and we took the victory, which made us forget about all our other losses. 

 Interested in joining Wheelchair Basketball? Have questions?

Contact Athletic Director Brandon Young at brandon@borp.org

Youth Sports: Wheelchair Basketball

The Jr. Road Warriors varsity wheelchair basketball team opened their 2022-2023 season in Portland at the Bridge City Classic. The team competed against teams from Portland and Spokane, and were able to sweep all four games. Before the games started the team was able to practice with the girls varsity team from Kennedy High School. It was a great opportunity to get on the court for some final prep work leading into the games.

During the games, the Jr. Road Warriors were dominant. In all four games they were able to take early commanding leads and work on lineup combinations. The team has two new players this year competing in their first wheelchair basketball competitions and both made significant contributions throughout the tournament.

Image 1 (top right): Two Jr. Road Warriors are seen mid-game on the gym court. The player on the right is holding the basketball. Image 2: 7 players on the Jr. Road Warriors team are pictured in their jerseys, in their game chairs, on the gym court. Image 3: Action shot of the Jr. Road Warriors game. The ball is about to be shot; 3 BORP players are seen in blue and white jerseys while 2 players in red and white jerseys. In the background, game attendees can be seen. All are slightly out of focus in this action shot. Image 4: Action shot of the Jr. Road Warriors game. At center, a BORP player and competing player are vying for the ball. The ball is in the air, touching the extended finger or a player whose arm is outstretched, reaching for the ball. The competing team player is on the immediate left of the BORP player. BORP players are seen in blue and white jerseys while 2 players in red and white jerseys, Game attendees can be seen in the background. All are slightly out of focus in this action shot. 

Pickleball Clinic Update

BORP’s first adaptive pickleball clinic was a success. The weather cooperated, and we had a small and enthusiastic group of participants come out and try the sport. Participants first learned to serve the ball and got a short introduction to the rules of the game. Most of the participants spent the entire clinic playing the game and by the end of the day, the pickleballs were flying back and forth over the net. “One of the things I really like about pickleball is that there is laughter and fun when you are playing” said Bill Prowling, one of our volunteer organizers. There certainly was a lot of laughter at the clinic and at the end of the day with an exhausted smiles on their faces, each participant asked, when can we do this again. And, that is a great way to end the day. So, look out for more information regarding the next pickleball clinic in January. Contact Athletic Director Brandon Young for more info by emailing brandon@borp.org.

Image: Pickelball cartoon image with paddle, two balls, and the word pickleball. 

For more information and to check out BORP’s team sports, including youth sports, please contact Brandon Young at brandon@borp.org.

Adaptive Rock Climbing: BORP + ParaCliffHangers

Register here for BORP + ParaCliffHangers Indoor Climbing.

• Every Friday, 6:00- 9:00 p.m. at Berkeley Ironworks in Berkeley
• Every Second Tuesday, 2:30-5:00 p.m. and/or 6:00-8:00 p.m. at Diablo Rock Gym in Concord

Questions? Email jorge@borp.org

Lake Merritt Bird Stroll 

January 26, 2023 from 12:30 p.m.–2:30 p.m.

Join us at Lake Merritt for an easy mid-day stroll to explore the birds that reside here year-round as well as the winter migrants. This stroll will be on level wheelchair accessible terrain. We’ll start the stroll with a mindfulness moment led by Judith Smith. This event is co-hosted by BORP & Golden Gate Audubon Society. Limited to 15 participants. To Registration register and inquire about accommodations email bonnie@borp.org or call 510 524-2026. Once registered you’ll receive further instructions. 

Image: Large blue and white bird (Black crowned night heron) stands on one leg at shores edge. A turtle clings to the shore nearby.

Adaptive Kayaking in Berkeley

While BORP Adaptive Kayaking is closed for winter, we're thrilled to announce that we've been awarded a "Driving Mobility and Accessibility on Public Lands" grant from The National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF), sponsored by Toyota. Read about it and the other awardees here. We're very grateful and excited to be able to offer a full season of kayaking next year! Stay tuned. 

If you're interested in getting involved, as a participant or volunteer, contact Mia at: kayak@borp.org

Image: A reminder of warmer days. The view is through the circular frame of binoculars. Far off, with trees behind, two people paddle a tandem kayak with stabilizing outriggers.

Road Trip Journal: BORP has a New bus!

by: Sarah-Dawn Smith, BORP Transportation Coordinator

The driver seat smelled like Armor All, beef jerky, and Gatorade, but the engine and AC fired up right away. The next day’s journey was spent on highways and byways from Las Vegas, NV to the Bay Area, CA.

Last month I was able to locate and secure the perfect replacement vehicle for BORP. This was intended to replace one of our accessible shuttle vehicles which was vandalized and set on fire in the end of 2020. As many of you know, the vehicle market, and especially commercial vehicle market has been challenging for buyers this past year and a half. Prices are high and inventory is low. I spent many months searching for the right shuttle vehicle for the right price. I would become really excited about a vehicle, have such high hopes, only to be let down and the sale or vehicle availability falling through. This cycle happened over and over again – it was almost as bad as online dating! But, finally, a dealership in Las Vegas, NV replied to me and we kept a conversation going.

Once they heard our story of the vandalized bus, and why we were looking for a vehicle, they worked really hard to help BORP secure this new shuttle bus. Marcus, the owner of Las Vegas Bus Sales, used to be a bus mechanic and then started a dealership with his best friend Alex (also a bus mechanic). He and his staff were so helpful. I flew out to Las Vegas to inspect the bus. They picked me up from the airport and let me have a full tour, test drive, inspect their inventory; especially of the vehicle we were eyeing. I returned to the Bay Area with a good feeling singing “Viva Las Vegas” with no suspicions in mind.

I told the other BORP staff about the shuttle bus and that it’s now or never, if we want to secure this vehicle. The following week Rick Smith and Julie Yates helped me get the necessary items to complete the transaction. Thanks to their timely help I was was able to return to Sin City, ready to buy a bus. I flew to Vegas, put on my blue suede shoes, and went down to the dealership to complete the transaction. Below are photos of our wonderful new bus making its way to its new home at BORP.

Our new shuttle bus is having BORP decals created and installed soon. Here’s to having our fleet restored and being able to provide accessible transportation to our participants!

Photo journal below, left to right:

1. BORP Bus at a North Las Vegas Strip Mall (hard rock café sign barely in the background)
2. BORP Bus at the World’s Largest Chevron gas station in Jean, Nevada.
3. BORP Bus at the Gateway to Death Valley and in front of the World’s Largest Thermometer
4. BORP Bus at sunset on Route 66 in Barstow, CA

Our Facebook page features what’s happening at BORP, news about adaptive sports, fitness, and recreation, and other issues of interest to the disability community. BORP is also on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube. Follow, like, and subscribe to us across all your social media platforms!

Reminder: To keep up to date on the latest protocols from BORP around masking, vaccination requirements, and more, please visit borp.org/covid-guidelines. BORP has pandemic-related safety protocols (masking and vaccination requirements) for indoor and outdoor activities, the Adventures & Outings program, and the Adaptive Cycling Center for all individuals aged 5 years and older.

Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program (BORP) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to improve the health, independence and social integration of people with physical disabilities and visual impairments through sports, fitness and recreation programs. www.borp.org 

Image: BORP logo in black, a stylized drawing of person in a moving wheelchair plus the words BORP adaptive sports and recreation