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Athletes with special needs often struggle to find training communities that welcome them with open arms—especially after the athletes have graduated from high school. That’s what Jen Korstanje of St. Catharines, Ont., realized when her son, who has an intellectual disability, was left without a running community or any way to participate in track or cross-country. So, she took matters into her own hands and founded Rapid Pulse Para Athletics, a Niagara-based team that has allowed athletes with intellectual and physical disabilities to find community and chase their dreams.
“My son was 13 when we stumbled across the Special Olympics for track and field,” Korstanje says. “He got into it right away, but he didn’t talk to anybody the first year. Eventually, he started gaining confidence that he wasn’t getting anywhere else. That was when I realized how important sports could be for kids with any kind of disability.”
But it’s not always easy to find a place for these athletes to train and to feel a sense of belonging. “When you’re the only disabled athlete in the club, it’s hard, because you go to different meets than the club goes to, a lot of the time,” Korstanje explains. “You don’t have a team, you’re by yourself. And so what ended up happening was I was always the one bringing my son to the meets, and he’d be by himself. And now that he’s older, it’s even harder to find programs that would be appropriate for him, because a lot of the para programs are primarily for younger athletes.”
And not every club for able-bodied athletes is welcoming for para athletes, unfortunately. “Some of the athletes that are in Rapid Pulse now have been kicked out of the able-bodied clubs because they’re disabled, they’ve been outright refused by some of the clubs, or they’ve been ghosted by the clubs,” Korstanje says.
She started Rapid Pulse Para Athletics early in 2024 when she realized she and her son weren’t the only ones struggling to find a community and a way to continue to grow in sport. “I met another mom in a similar situation, so we decided we would open our own club,” she recalls. She already had her coaching certifications from working with the Special Olympics for a decade and was serving as her son’s de facto coach, so it made sense. She took action, creating the club and incorporating it as a non-profit. She connected with the Canada Games Park in St. Catherines—the only fully accessible facility in the area.
Word got out, and now they have five athletes with a range of intellectual disabilities, as well as one athlete with cerebral palsy.
“My daughter has an intellectual disability and is very active in Special Olympics, so the opportunity for her to participate in para athletics has been so amazing for her,” says Diane Barclay, whose daughter Ewen is an elite-level speedskater who runs in the off-season. “It has also allowed her to run in higher-level meets with athletes who have a wide range of both physical and intellectual disabilities. It really has opened her eyes to what an individual can achieve despite whatever disability they live with.”
Korstanje has found ways to make practices fun for the athletes while also working on their technique. “While she loves her Special Olympics athletic practices, there are many athletes, and the practice time is limited; therefore most of the practice is spent running races,” says Barclay. “There is not the individual instruction that she receives at Rapid Pulse. Jen can focus on what each athlete needs to work on, and provide direction on how to improve in that area, as well as training exercises that can be done both at practice and at home. For example, Ewen never really knew how to take a corner until she started working with Jen. She had no idea how foot placement, arm movement and breathing during corners could make such a huge difference in her racing… And Jen [Korstanje] makes it fun! Ewen absolutely loves going to practice and always has the best time.”
“We do a lot of co-ordination, reaction time, repetitive stuff and cues, and we go over things so no one feels like they’re falling behind,” Korstanje explains. “Each athlete has different needs. I have an athlete who is hearing-impaired, so the reaction time to a starter pistol can be slower, so we work on that. We do a lot of work with hula hoops and balls to activate the brain and work on motor co-ordination.”
“My goal with Rapid Pulse Para Athletics is just to give these athletes a place to come and have fun, go after their goals, and feel like they’re part of a group,” she says. “Now, when they go to meets, they have teammates, and they’re very supportive of each other. It’s fantastic—and it shows other people what is possible. I would love to see more clubs like this. And it doesn’t take much to get started. We’re doing this all self-funded, we don’t charge athletes to be in the program. I had to navigate creating a non-profit. I took coaching courses over a decade, and I work at a running store while I’m back in school for recreational therapy. It’s just about persevering. When you want to make something happen badly enough, there’s a way. And it’s worth it. When I see the kids and they’re smiling and they’re happy, that’s worth all the work.”
The team’s big goal is next year—in 2025, Niagara is hosting the Ontario Para Sport Games, and Korstanje is excited for her athletes to be part of the event and to host more para athletes from around the province in their town. “It’s very exciting that Niagara has chosen to host the Games,” she says. “Being the local club will be really exciting for our athletes. It’s a great opportunity to educate the community on what we do, and hopefully gain some more local support.”
Rapid Pulse Para Athletics may be starting small, but can have a big impact, especially for athletes with invisible disabilities. Often, those with intellectual disabilities are overlooked. But at Rapid Pulse Para Athletics, they’re part of something. “Here, you are part of a community, and I think that’s the key,” says Korstanje. “Without a community, you can still participate in sport. But if you don’t have that community environment, it’s really hard and it’s rarely fun. Now, when we go to meet, we have a team, we have shirts with our logo, and we’re making the invisible visible.”
“All para athletes should have a program and have a chance at the dream that they want,” says Shannon Swinson, one of the Rapid Pulse athletes. “Being part of the team has made me better, and I made new friends.”
