UH students help athletes follow their dreams around the world

HOUSTON, Texas -- If you've ever thought about trying a new sport, you typically need new shoes or equipment like a racket.

But not all athletes have that option. Sport wheelchairs are custom for each sport and can be incredibly expensive, with costs starting at $2,000.

The University of Houston Adaptive Athletics class wants to help athletes get chairs for no cost. When in-person wheelchair tennis and rugby activities were paused last spring due to the pandemic, the class shifted focus to rebuilding sport wheelchairs for athletes in Bangladesh.

Athletes there are incredibly talented but lack the equipment to compete.

The UH class collected 40 donated sports wheelchairs from sports programs around the country hoping to upcycle their old equipment. The class has spent several weeks being refurbished, and will eventually be shipped to Dhaka.

The class needs $18,000 to ship the chairs across the world. You can donate here.