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Updated: December 9, 2019 / 2019 Health Care Heroes Honorees

Joly helps physically disabled patients ‘think possible’

Katie Joly stands with two paragolfers who benefit from adaptive sports offered by the Gaylord Sports Association.
By Karen Sackowitz

 

Category: Healthcare Staff

Katie Joly, Program Manager, Gaylord Sports Association, Gaylord Specialty Healthcare

“Think possible” is a guiding principle at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare in Wallingford, a leader in the care of spinal cord injuries, complex strokes and traumatic brain injuries.

Katie Joly demonstrates that principle every day as the program manager for the Gaylord Sports Association, a donor-funded program that provides low- or no-cost adaptive sports and recreational opportunities for adults with permanent physical disabilities or visual impairment.

Joly has worked tirelessly to elevate the program, doubling the number of sports and activities offered over the last four years. In 2018, she oversaw 221 adaptive sports events, clinics, classes, team practices and competitions. She also led the development of the Sports Association Veteran Event Series (SAVES), specifically designed for veterans with PTSD, or a physical or visual impairment.

“We’ve learned that veterans are more comfortable coming to programs with their peers,” she says. “They’ll come to a couple of our veterans’ programs, then start to look into what else we do. They start to feel a bit more comfortable and confident, and before you know it, they’re doing more activities than they thought they would.”

Many participants in the sports association programs first hear about them as rehab patients being treated for major injuries at Gaylord Specialty Healthcare. Karen Smith, who became involved with the program after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis more than 20 years ago, says Joly’s efforts to introduce programs early is beneficial.

“A lot of people who are injured and in a rehab hospital are young people who have been involved in sports and all of the sudden something got in the way, like a spinal cord injury, and it’s like, what do I do now?” she says. “To have something like this associated with the hospital, they don’t have to go searching for programs. Katie just makes it happen.”

While some hospitalized patients may not be ready to dive into adaptive sports, Smith says Joly makes a point of having hospital volunteers bring them to see activities in action.

“Katie gets a lot of people’s first exposure to these sports when they’re in a really crappy mood,” Smith said. “These people have spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, spinal cord diseases, and life pretty much sucks for them at that moment. They’re thinking about how they’re going to get in and out of their house, or how they’re going to drive a car. But when they get all the activities of daily living figured out, they can say ‘you know, I watched these people play wicked wheelchair tennis, or, I watched a film on adaptive skiing, and maybe I’ll go back and see what I can do.’ The minute they’re ready, that opportunity is open to them.”

An athlete and avid outdoor enthusiast herself, Joly relates to the people she works with on a personal level.

“A lot of people identify themselves by what they do in their free time,” Joly said. “So yes, work is one thing, and being able to take care of yourself is another, but people are also saying ‘I’m a skier, I’m a biker, I play golf, I play hockey.’ When you have a serious injury, you feel like you’ve lost a part of yourself. We want to show people that they can get a part of themselves back. They can still be competitive. They can still challenge themselves. They can still get those same good feelings and benefits from the sports they did before.”

Smith says Joly is adamant about making sure all of her sports programs are safe, equipment is right, proper staff is in place, and any access issues are taken care of so her athletes can just get out there and play. Equally important is her ability to support their human spirit.

“As a disabled athlete, the last thing you want is to be patronized,” Smith said. “Katie says ‘hey, you’re an athlete. Let’s help you find a different way, or let’s get you the right equipment and let’s do this.’ There’s a favorite phrase of mine — disabled athletes need to be given the dignity of risk. Katie is focused on the details so she can safely take people to whatever limits they want to go.”

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