The only time I’ve ever been in a wheelchair is when I’ve left the hospital — and then, I didn’t even need to push myself. But this past weekend, I attended the Adaptive Sports on the Court 3-on-3 Wheelchair Basketball Fundraiser and, while I was initially hesitant, the director of Adaptive Sports Iowa convinced me to get in a chair.

“Just try it,” she said. “It’s just a chair, it’s not scary.”

And she was right.

I was surprised at how easy it was to wheel myself, how easily I was able to get myself rolling. And at how quickly and precisely I could turn. And at how fast I could go.

Adaptive Sports Iowa called The News office several weeks ago to ask us if we wanted to field a team in the 3-on-3 tournament and I said, without any hesitation, “No, thank you.” But after trying out a wheelchair, and even dribbling a basketball this weekend, I now can’t wait for next year’s tournament. I can’t wait to play.

I just needed to open my mind a little more. I initially thought, “There’s no way I could play wheelchair basketball,” but after watching several other non-wheelchair users play on Saturday, I now think, “I could totally do this!”

Thank you to Hannah Lundeen, Director of Adaptive Sports Iowa, for teaching me about wheelchair basketball and making me see it isn’t as scary as it seems. And thank you for helping me learn about the challenges that wheelchair users face on a daily basis — they might not be able to enter a home or a store that has a small front step, door handles or light switches may be out of their reach, sidewalks may be poorly maintained, making it difficult to traverse down them in a wheelchair.

Even though I only spent a short time in a wheelchair, I now have a greater appreciation for what daily wheelchair users deal with, and I feel I’m a better and more compassionate person for taking the time to be taught. Thank you, Adaptive Sports Iowa!