The Hartford Nationals return to Grand Rapids with 424 athletes

Move United’s annual adaptive sports championship comes back to Grand Rapids July 10-16, bringing 424 athletes from 38 states and Washington, D.C., plus clinics, awards and surprise equipment giveaways. The free, public event is expected to build on last year’s turnout and showcase the pathway from youth competition to Team USA Paralympic success.

Why it matters: - The Hartford Nationals is a major national stage for athletes with physical disabilities, visual impairments and intellectual disabilities. - The event is a pipeline for future Paralympians and a visible showcase for adaptive sports access, equipment and competition. - All events are free and open to the public, which broadens community participation in Grand Rapids.

What happened: - The Hartford Nationals, conducted by Move United, returns to Grand Rapids from July 10-16. - The event is hosted again by the West Michigan Sports Commission and Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports. - 424 athletes with disabilities and 146 coaches are competing and participating. - Athletes are traveling from 38 states and the District of Columbia. - Competitors qualified through more than 35 sanctioned competitions across the Move United member network, national governing bodies or high school athletic association sanctioned events. - Featured sports include archery, boccia, para powerlifting, paratriathlon and aquathlon, shooting, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair and para standing tennis.

The details: - During the event, The Hartford and Paralympic gold medalist and wheelchair basketball player Matt Scott will surprise six athletes with custom-fit adaptive sports equipment. - One peer-nominated athlete will receive The Hartford’s Human Achievement Award. - The award honors an individual who exemplifies the adaptive sports movement and serves as a role model. - The award includes a $2,500 grant for training and travel. - Clinics and educational sessions will cover adaptive judo, field hockey, wheelchair softball, swimming and tennis. - Paralympians Daniel Romanchuk, Brian Siemann and Eliaz Willis will lead track clinics. - Paralympic athletes Amanda McGrory and Chuck Aoki will serve as announcers. - The local organizing committee is led by the West Michigan Sports Commission, which won the host bid for 2025 and 2026. - Local venues include Calvin University’s Gainey Athletic Facility, Venema Aquatic Center, Mary Free Bed YMCA, Millennium Park, MSA Fieldhouse, MVP Athletic Club and the Grand Rapids Public Museum. - The full schedule and event information are available here.

Between the lines: - Move United CEO Glenn Merry framed the event as an early proving ground for future Team USA Paralympians. - The Hartford’s equipment giveaway and grant signal that the event is about access as much as medals. - West Michigan is trying to turn a successful 2025 event into even stronger attendance and community engagement in 2026.

What's next: - The competition, clinics and ceremonies run throughout the July 10-16 event week. - Organizers expect more local volunteers, spectators and athletes as Grand Rapids hosts again. - The event is positioned to continue as a national marker for adaptive sports heading toward the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028.

The bottom line: - The Hartford Nationals is coming back to Grand Rapids as both an elite competition and a high-visibility platform for adaptive sports growth.