ABSTRACT
This chapter explores the past, present and projected considerations of the sport of adaptive rowing in the United States of America. Guided by refl ections from Thomas Darling, High Performance Director for US Para-rowing, the sport is considered historically, culturally, politically and socially in regards to the specifi c accompanying opportunities and challenges identifi ed. With the sport being showcased at the 2008 Paralympic Games, the development of Para-rowing within the USA is in its embryonic stages. The chapter highlights the diffi culties faced when developing an elite Paralympic sports programme in a country of such vast geographical space with limited existing coach education and sparse avenues for fi nancial investment. Acknowledging that the USA is a nation galvanised by professional sports, and that Paralympic sport is aff orded minimal media coverage, the diffi culties of strategically constructing a pathway from grass-roots participation through to high performance disability sport are salient. However, Darling considers the future of Para-rowing to be promising. Focusing specifi cally on progressive avenues for Paralympic talent identifi cation, the investment in coach education and the strengthening of associations with US military organisations, this case study unpacks the methods in which community, resourcefulness and leadership are inspiring and driving the growth of Para-rowing in the USA.
