(July 30, 2023) Over one-third of children and adolescents with disabilities have little or no accessibility to sports and physical education, according to a UNICEF study, although the majority have them access to medical, transportation and cultural services. In 2021, a report by the American College of Sports Medicine showed that physical activity among children with disabilities is four-times lower than their non-disabled counterparts.
It is a gap that Indian-origin teen Rakshith Srinivasan hopes to fill by creating an enabling ecosystem through research and innovation, to increase access and make people aware of the role sports medicine can play in bettering the lives of children with disabilities. His non-profit, Unlimited Potential (UP), has achieved many milestones in a short span of time, and has raised $100,000 from community donors.
Rakshith Srinivasan
The change maker envisions an inclusive world where children facing physical challenges have the necessary tools to overcome them and can actively participate in school sports. His focus is also on adults who can lead a more fulfilling life with sports despite their disabilities. “We believe that accelerating research and improving affordability will ultimately lead to fulfilling our vision of a world without wheelchairs by 2050,” remarks Rakshith.
The multifaceted teen has also published a book titled ‘Overcoming Obstacles’ and has secured first place in Washington State Science and Engineering Fair 2023.
Passionate about making a difference
UP operates as a network of passionate high school students who are actively involved in sports and have a strong interest in science and research. These student volunteers collaborate with doctors and medical researchers from institutions like Seattle Children’s Orthopaedic Research Lab, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, Special Olympics of Washington, and the University of Washington’s Institute of Sports Medicine.
Through these partnerships, the volunteers gain insights into the research, understand its impact, and spread awareness about the gained information, raising funds in the process.
With a team of ten dedicated full-time volunteers and over 600 part-time volunteers spanning United States, Rakshith’s non-profit has achieved a remarkable feat. Since its inception in 2021, UP’s campaigns have been instrumental in raising $100,000 for research through generous contributions from community donors whom the volunteers approached within their respective school districts.
Rakshit Srinivasan at Seattle Children’s Hospital
The raised amount is enabling the funding of eight research programs in crucial areas such as prosthetics, bionics, muscular dystrophy, skeletal dysplasia, limb deformities, bone cancer, athlete mental health, and human-centred design.
Bringing community together
Team Unlimited Potential has not only garnered support from more than 500 donors but has also formed a dedicated advisory board comprising like-minded leaders with experience in the field of sports medicine.
The experts provide valuable mentorship to the volunteers. The advisory team assists in research selection, engages in donor discussions, plans fundraising campaigns, and facilitates connections with researchers and doctors.
It started when…
Rakhshith has always been interested in medicine, biology and sports. Three years ago, he suffered a grade 2 ankle sprain. “It was the varsity basketball season, and the sprain took me out of the playoffs. I really missed the time I was away from the team. I was frustrated for being away from sports – which is something what I love to do,” he said adding, “It was an eye-opening experience for me. It led me to think about how a lot of children might be missing sports due to their permanent disabilities.
Recognising that sports is one of the biggest unifiers and hobbies of everyone around the world, the youngster devoted his recuperation time in learning about sports medicine. He did extensive research on what’s being done in the field to help the people who cannot play sports due to their disabilities or deformities and made up his mind to do his own bit.
Empathy for social change
Rakshith’s dedication not just comes from personal experience of being confined but also from empathy that he developed during a volunteering activity. As a ninth-grade student, he had volunteered to tutor the displaced children of refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine – an initiative of the non-profit, World Relief . Getting involved in the initiative changed his whole perspective of how he looked at life.
Rakshith with Kids
“The kids in the refugee base here were in an awkward situation, where they were attending school in a very different education system without even knowing the language properly,” he said.
“Apart from tutoring, just being with them, showing support and talking to them during their hard times gave me a sort of empathy towards others and helped me introspect how I’m fortunate enough but there are lots of people who are not, and I should use what I have been given to help others,” he remarked.
Overcoming obstacles
“While fund raising, we hear more ‘No’s’ than ‘Yeses’ says the youngster, but we keep going.’ Wearing many hats, the teen is not just passionate about sports medicine research and creating STEM awareness but is also an author and basketball enthusiast. His debut book ‘Overcoming Obstacles,’ delves into the cutting-edge research taking place in the field of sports science and research. “All proceeds from book sales would be directed towards the fundraising campaigns conducted by Unlimited Potential,” he says.
Aspiring to be an orthopaedic doctor, the teen has published scientific research papers about muscle soreness and lateral ligament ankle injuries in basketball. He has worked for several medical internships and plays varsity basketball at district level.
In March this year, he was thrilled to win the first prize in the 66th Washington State Science and Engineering Fair. “I was judged 1st amongst highly amazingly talented Washingtonians who participated in the state science fair. My research was about leveraging BC Amino acids compounds to increase energy in muscles lower micro-raptures thus preventing injuries in elite athletes,” he shared.
Rakshith Srinivasan
As part of LEAP (Leadership through Education, Activities, and Personal Development), a student leadership group of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA), he is involved with WIAA events, meetings and community projects, and gets opportunity to be the voice of Washington’s more than 225,000 student-participants.
Born in India Rakshith is thankful for his parents’ support in all his endeavours and is very close to his grandparents who live in India. “I feel that everyone has potential inside them, and I want to unlock that potential through my initiatives,” he says.
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