The first time I tried wheelchair basketball, I nearly took a ball to the face. Wheelchair tennis strapped me into the chair with six straps, and even then, I only had about half a snowball’s chance in hell of hitting the ball with my racket. Swimming worked for a while, but as my disabilities changed, even making it across the pool left me gasping for breath.
Every sport I tried became another reminder of what I couldn’t do.
I wanted to move. I wanted to compete. Mostly, I wanted to stop feeling like sports were built for everyone else.
In 2019, I rolled into boccia practice at Medstar National Rehabilitation Hospital in Washington, DC, secretly expecting it to be a snooze-fest. But one practice changed everything. I left exhilarated. For the first time, I had found a sport that actually fit me.
What Is Boccia?
Whenever I tell people I play competitive boccia, I get the same response: “Isn’t that what old Italian men play?” Not exactly.
Boccia (pronounced bot-cha) is a precision sport, similar to—but not identical to—the old Italian lawn game of bocce. It can be played individually, in pairs, or in teams of three. Each side has six red or blue balls and one white jack ball. The goal is simple: get your colored balls closer to the jack than your opponent’s. You can push your balls closer or knock your opponent’s balls away.
It’s not fast-paced, but it’s cutthroat in the best way. You haven’t lived until you’re holding your breath while a game comes down to a difference of literal millimeters.
The balls are like firm beanbags and come in different hardness levels. Harder balls roll faster but are easier for your opponent to move. Softer balls don’t roll as far but are harder to dislodge. Choosing the right one is all part of the strategy — it’s like 3D chess with wheelchairs.
Players stay inside a box at the front of the court while throwing. But within that box, you can move however you want — angle your chair, shift your position, even throw backwards. It’s all, pardon the pun, fair game.
What makes boccia especially meaningful to me is that it was originally developed as a Paralympic sport for people with cerebral palsy. It’s one of only two Paralympic sports with no Olympic equivalent (the other is goalball). Boccia was built for bodies like mine — and it shows.
Classification
At my first national competition, I was formally classified — the process that ensures athletes compete fairly based on their level of impairment.
I’m classified as a BC5 athlete, which means I have more control over my limbs and can throw independently. Unfortunately, BC5 isn’t recognized internationally — yet — so my Paralympic dreams are still on hold. But I’m hopeful that will change someday.
My Boccia Journey
After that first practice in DC, I went back every week. I finished out the season ecstatic — not only had I finally found a sport I loved, but one I was actually good at. I planned to start competing seriously the following year.
And then COVID hit. Everything shut down. By the time activities reopened, I had moved back to my home state of New York and was recovering from two major orthopedic surgeries.
Eventually, I couldn’t sit still any longer. I started looking for adaptive activities in the greater New York City area. A friend who knew how much I loved boccia introduced me to her friend Charlie, who played for the Nassau Thunderbolts on Long Island — not too far from where I was living with my parents.
I attended my first Thunderbolts practice in January 2022, and I haven’t looked back. I’m coming up on my fourth year as a Nassau Thunderbolt, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world.
Why I Love Boccia
Everything I loved about boccia in 2019 is still true today — maybe even more so. I love the combination of physicality and strategy. I love my team. As the only girl on the Thunderbolts, the guys have become like my brothers, and I’m proudly the “Queen of the Team.”
The first time I traveled with the team, I was moved to tears. It reminded me of my youth spent at a camp for kids with disabilities: the same well-controlled chaos, the same disability jokes, the same “don’t sweat the small stuff” attitude.
Since then, I’ve traveled all over the U.S. with the Thunderbolts, and I’m looking forward to crossing Alabama off my list this summer when we go to Nationals. I compete individually and in pairs with my teammate Rafael, and we’ve won bronze or silver medals as a pair at every competition we’ve entered together. As of this writing, I’m ranked sixth in the nation in the BC5 classification.
Boccia gave me more than just a second shot at being an athlete — it gave me a sport where my body finally fits.
If you’re curious about boccia, visit usaboccia.org or worldboccia.com. And watch for boccia at the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles — I’ll be cheering with a boccia ball in my hand.
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Here’s a previous post about another sport that you might get your feet wet as an athlete. Click here.