Move United Selects Grand Rapids, Michigan as Host Site for 2025-26 The Hartford Nationals
National adaptive sports competition will include more than 400 youth and adults with a physical disability competing in at least seven sports
Photos courtesy of Move United
(GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Aug. 13, 2024) Move United, the national leader in community-based sports and recreation for individuals with disabilities, has selected Grand Rapids, Michigan, as the host site for The Hartford Nationals in 2025 and 2026. The Hartford Nationals is the largest and longest-running national sport championship event for athletes with a physical disability, visual impairment, or intellectual disability.
The 2025 event, scheduled for July 11-17, marks the 68th year of competition and will be hosted locally by the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC). Athletes must qualify to compete through one of more than 30 local or regional Move United Sanctioned Competitions, a National Governing Body or High School Athletic Association sanctioned event, or other held across the country event approved by Move United.
This national competition began in 1957 for adult athletes and continued through 1995. Youth athletes could compete starting in 1985, and that event continues today. Those two events were merged in 2023, allowing youth and adult athletes, warfighters, and Paralympians to compete at the same event.
“We are focused on leading a movement that fully includes people with disabilities in American society, using sport to challenge perceptions and redefine ability for youth and adults with disabilities,” said Move United Executive Director Glenn Merry. “Athletes just want to compete, and this event provides an opportunity for adaptive athletes to show themselves as well as the world what they can do.”
Approximately 400 athletes with disabilities and over 150 coaches, from 34 states and the District of Columbia, participated in the 2024 event, with those numbers expected to increase next year. The weeklong event includes competitions, clinics, education and social opportunities. The sports that will be contested include archery, para powerlifting, paratriathlon, shooting, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair tennis.
Move United selected Grand Rapids to host the 2025 and 2026 competition after a nationwide bid process. “We chose Grand Rapids based on the reputation and experience of the West Michigan Sports Commission and the fact that we have a strong member organization, Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports, located there,” Merry said. The event has only been held in Michigan one other time, in Saginaw in 2011, so this will be the first time the event has been held in the western part of the state.
The local organizing committee will be spearheaded by the West Michigan Sports Commission. "We are excited to host the 2025 and 2026 The Hartford Nationals and its athletes in Grand Rapids, a city that has made great strides in promoting accessibility for all," said Mike Guswiler, president of the West Michigan Sports Commission who bid on, won and is hosting the event. “Home to programs like Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports and facilities like Special Olympics Michigan, Grand Rapids is committed to meeting the needs of athletes with disabilities like those competing in The Hartford Nationals."
For more information about The Hartford Nationals, visit TheHartfordNationals.org.
ABOUT MOVE UNITED
Move United is the national leader in community adaptive sports, empowering 125,000 youth and adults with disabilities each year to live to their fullest potential. Move United’s 240 member organizations in 45 states and the District of Columbia are united by a single mission: ensuring everyone, regardless of ability, experiences the life-changing power of sport and is fully included in their community.
Move United, an Affiliate of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, provides opportunities for individuals with disabilities to become physically and emotionally stronger through participation in more than 70 adaptive sports. Established in 1956, Move United offers community-based sports recreation, education and competition that push people further, bring people closer and leave no one on the sidelines. Join our MOVEment at www.moveunitedsport.org.
ABOUT THE WEST MICHIGAN SPORTS COMMISSION
The non-profit West Michigan Sports Commission identifies, secures and hosts youth and amateur sporting events to positively impact the economy and quality of life in West Michigan. Since its inception in 2007, the WMSC has booked 1,216 events attracting more than 2.1 million athletes and visitors, generating over $649 million in direct visitor spending. Visit westmisports.com Facebook.com/WestMichiganSportsCommission and @westmisports on Twitter and Instagram.