GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Move United, the national leader in community-based sports and recreation for individuals with disabilities, has selected Grand Rapids, Michigan, as the host site for The Hartford Nationals in 2025 and 2026.
The Hartford Nationals is the largest and longest-running national sports championship event for athletes with physical disabilities, visual impairment, or intellectual disabilities.
The 2025 event, scheduled for July 11 to 17, marks the 68th year of competition and will be hosted locally by the West Michigan Sports Commission (WMSC). Athletes must qualify to compete through one of more than 30 local or regional Move United Sanctioned Competitions, a National Governing Body or High School Athletic Association sanctioned event, or other held across the country event approved by Move United.
This national competition began in 1957 for adult athletes and continued through 1995. Youth athletes started competing in 1985 and continue today. Those two events were merged in 2023, allowing youth and adult athletes, warfighters, and Paralympians to compete at the same time.
“We are focused on leading a movement that fully includes people with disabilities in American society, using sport to challenge perceptions and redefine ability for youth and adults with disabilities,” says Move United executive director Glenn Merry. “Athletes just want to compete, and this event provides an opportunity for adaptive athletes to show themselves as well as the world what they can do.”
Approximately 400 athletes with disabilities and over 150 coaches from 34 states and the District of Columbia participated in the 2024 event, with those numbers expected to increase next year. The weeklong event includes competitions, clinics, education, and social opportunities. The sports that will be contested include archery, para powerlifting, para-triathlon, shooting, swimming, track and field, and wheelchair tennis.
Move United selected Grand Rapids to host the 2025 and 2026 competition after a nationwide bid process.
“We chose Grand Rapids based on the reputation and experience of the West Michigan Sports Commission and the fact that we have a strong member organization, Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports, located there,” Merry says.
The event was only held in Michigan one other time, in Saginaw in 2011, so this will be the first time the event will be held in the western part of the state. The local organizing committee will be spearheaded by the West Michigan Sports Commission.
“We are excited to host The Hartford Nationals and its athletes in 2025 and 2026 in Grand Rapids, a city that has made great strides in promoting accessibility for all,” says Mike Guswiler, president of the West Michigan Sports Commission. “Home to programs like Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports and facilities like Special Olympics Michigan, Grand Rapids is committed to meeting the needs of athletes with disabilities like those competing in The Hartford Nationals.” For more information about The Hartford Nationals, visit TheHartfordNationals.org.
