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Wisconsin adaptive sports; girls make strides
Anna and Ivy Cosgrove get to navigate the game of life together – as all sisters do. Like most siblings, there is always a little bit of a competitive streak.
WAUWATOSA, Wis. - Adaptive sports have found a home in Wisconsin with various programs across the FOX6 viewing area that provide an opportunity for those who want to join in.
Anna and Ivy Cosgrove get to navigate the game of life together – as all sisters do. Like most siblings, there is always a little bit of a competitive streak.
"As long as we don't get too competitive," Anna said.
"We can get very competitive," Ivy said.
"Look who's talking," Anna said.
They let their skills shine on the basketball court.
"We play, like, the sports in wheelchairs instead of standing up," Anna said.
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Both sisters have lower limb differences. 10-year-old Ivy is a double above-the-knee amputee.
"She was born with a congenital difference called Tibial Hemimelia which means she was missing the tibia bone in both her legs. A few months after she came home is when she had her amputation," said Jennifer Cosgrove, Anna and Ivy's mother.
As for 11-year-old Anna…
"She had a major surgery when she was 3 ½ years old. It was called Rotationplasty, and it turned her little leg around 180 degrees and now her ankle acts as her knee joint," Jennifer said.
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A decade ago, Jennifer and Preston Cosgrove adopted the girls from China.
"They have been such a joy in our lives and I can speak for many, many other people as well," Jennifer said.
Their kids' lower limb differences required a lot of learning on the Cosgrove's side.
"A number of adaptive sports and other disability communities have provided that, and they've been invaluable. The kind of wisdom and life experience that we don't have, and the only thing that you can get is someone who is walking that road ahead of you," Preston said.
Thanks to sports, the sisters have not let their prosthesis limit them. They have tried adaptive rock climbing, adaptive wake surfing, sled hockey, and pickleball. But basketball – that is their true passion.
At McKinley Elementary School in Wauwatosa, Anna and Ivy have found a community within WASA – the Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association – and their Golden Eagles wheelchair basketball team.
"It's fun to be able to play basketball while sitting down and to see all the people like me," Ivy said.
In wheelchair basketball, no matter your age or skill level, everyone is on a neutral playing field.
"I mean, it just improves everybody's self-confidence, self-worth, and it allows them to be active. Everything about the adaptive sports world is just unbelievable, and it benefits these kids in so many ways," said Head Coach Jordan Wilkens.
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The girls can attest to that – and their love for the game has made them even better these past few years.
"It's been enjoyable to watch Anna and Ivy take out 30-year-old men. Someone who is more skilled in how to use the chair, they can take them out of the game," Preston said.
With teams and organizations like the Golden Eagles in WASA, these outlets are important in spreading awareness to show everyone that they belong.
"Even if you're in a wheelchair, it doesn't mean you can't play basketball or football," Anna said.
"We're people that are alike, we might just look different," Ivy said.
Anna and Ivy are heading into their third year on the prep team. Right now, they are gearing up for their fall season with the Golden Eagles. That season begins at the end of September.