Decatur student athlete surprised with customized sport wheelchair
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Decatur, GA — 19-year-old Decatur student athlete Keith DeBrosse was surprised with a customized sport wheelchair by BlazeSports on Oct 26.
He was told he was going to an event at Centennial High School, but didn’t know what was in store for him. “My mom and her friend and my brother all went, they all knew but didn’t tell me. I kept laughing about it because I kept asking questions,” he said.
DeBrosse has played on the Blaze Wheelchair Sports Team since he was in the first grade. He is an ambulatory wheelchair user, meaning he uses a wheelchair only part of the time — for playing basketball. This is the first time he’s had a chair of his own for basketball practice.
DeBrosse is a senior at Decatur High School with dual enrollment at Georgia Piedmont Tech. He has also participated in BlazeSports wheelchair sports camp for eight years. Last summer he was awarded a paid internship with BlazeSports. He hopes to attend Georgia State after graduation. While his exact major is undecided, he’s interested in studying film.
This year he’ll continue playing wheelchair basketball for Blaze Sports, but he’s hoping to play at the Shepherd Center next year.
“It was a really fun experience,” said DeBrosse. “My family and I are happy that I got the wheelchair.”
17-year-old Yahweh Mann from Griffin, GA was also the recipient of a sports wheelchair. Both teens are winners of the BlazeSports Leadership in Sport essay contest.
BlazeSports’ mission is to provide all children and adults with physical disabilities the chance to play sports and live healthy, active lives. The organization provides opportunities for people with disabilities to be physically active through adaptive sports and recreation, as well as training and education of leaders in the field.