Edition 15 | Winter 2019
Once a Dry Riverbed, TTL has Become 360’s Go-to Location for Adaptive Water Sports
Story by Christian Guerithault
Illustration by Alison Baionno
Pick a time from dawn until dusk and you can bet there’s something going on at Tempe Town Lake (TTL), the man-made reservoir located just north of ASU’s main campus.
Resurrected in 1999, the urban lake has become a vital part of Ability360 outdoor recreational programs. The lake is a short five-minute drive from Ability360. Programs include dragon boating, kayaking, and paddle boarding; all of which are all-inclusive.
Team Blue, an adaptive dragon boat team is made up of veterans, with or without disabilities, and civilians with disabilities. Dragon boat paddling is a great, low-impact exercise you can do in a group setting.
Team Blue began paddling in October 2017 and continues to paddle at Tempe Town Lake once a week. The team also participates in the occasional regatta or festival.
Kayaking 101 is an adaptive paddling program. The program is for adults and takes place at the lake. It teaches the basics of paddle boarding and kayaking.
Breaking Barriers Youth Program utilizes the lake to learn the basics of kayaking and paddle boarding for kids under 18 years of age.
The all-new Sports 4 Vets program, which began in October 2018, is a weekly sports program that also takes members to TTL to enjoy water sports.
Tempe Town Lake also has many miles of paths for walking and biking, a great beach and kid’s water park. If you like entertainment, TTL hosts numerous concerts and art festivals each year.
Christian Guerithault
Writer
Christian Guerithault is an alumnus of Barrett, The Honors College at ASU. He majored in Sports and Media Studies through ASU’s W.P. Carey School of Business. Christian is a Phoenix native and has two older brothers. He is the biggest sports fanatic you’ll ever meet and hopes to one day work in the front office of a professional sports team.
Read more by Christian Guerithault.