Like many adaptive sports teams, the Cardinals face steep challenges. Travel is logistically difficult and financially taxing — with the nearest team at least an hour away, and others as far as four or more hours. Equipment is also expensive: a good sports wheelchair can cost anywhere from $4,000 to $8,000. Ana credits the Kelly Brush Foundation with helping to cover the cost of her own chair. But what perhaps weighs heaviest is the emotional toll — the journey of adjusting to a new body, a new identity, and a world that still often lacks accessibility and awareness.

“My life is about paying back and giving what I can to those who need it,” he says. This drive led him to found The Valley League, an adult basketball league in Allentown, PA, designed to give young people a safe space to escape the streets, be themselves, and find purpose through the game they love.

Now at the collegiate level, Brady is pursuing a degree in finance while continuing to chase his goals on the football field. His top priorities are earning a starting quarterback role and developing into the best version of himself both as a player and a person.

Shaw credits much of his journey to his parents, whose constant support has fueled him through highs and lows. Also to the game of football, he says, gave him structure, kept him focused, helped him earn a college degree, and kept him away from trouble.

In 2019, he found his true calling in coaching and he hasn’t looked back. As he is now head coach of both the men’s and women’s basketball programs at Penn State Scranton. He believes it’s about more than wins and losses. It’s about culture, community, and creating opportunities for those often overlooked.