Hundreds of athletes from all over the country competed through the weekend at Brookfield East High School for the 8th annual Big Cheese Classic.
The elite wheelchair basketball tournament coordinated by the Wisconsin Adaptive Sports Association has provided kids as young as 7 years old with an opportunity to get active.
For 9th grader, Julian Rivera from West Bend, playing in the tournament alongside his team, the WASA Wheelchair Bucks, has been transformative.
"We are really changing lives for people that are disabled. We always want to give someone a chance doesn't matter like their skill level," said Rivera.
This chance was given to Amber Infalt, a former player but now coach to the 6 through 12-year-old athletes.
Originally from Hartford, Infalt found herself as the black sheep in her community.
"Hartford's getting bigger but it's not a super big town so we didn't really have anyone in wheelchairs," said Infalt.
Unconsciously she had a desire to find others to roll with.
"I was going to physical therapy at Children's hospital and just kind of found out about other people in wheelchairs."
She quickly discovered adaptive sports and began to play wheelchair basketball in high school and eventually college.
Infalt considers her former teammates as her closest friends today which has inspired her to coach the next generation.
"You can go on with life no matter what happens to you and that everyone kind of belongs even if you have a different disability than everyone else."
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