As usual, Ability360 put on a fantastic event. The staff is always top notch, food trucks were great, and the facility is one of a kind! I will absolutely be back next year, and can’t wait to see how Ability360 outdoes itself, yet again. Thank you to everyone involved in such a smoothly run event!”
“Chad Cohn, University of Arizona Wheelchair Rugby player, current Team USA Wheelchair Rugby Member, and Paralympian”
Event Recap
Ability360 Sports & Fitness Center hosted the 5th Annual Duel in the Desert presented by Bank of America, on October 20th through October 22nd. This event aimed to raise awareness of competitive adaptive sports and help kick off the sport season for many teams.
Competition through the tournament was fierce. Athletes included Paralympians, Power Soccer World Cup Champions, and Arizona Hall of Fame Athletes. Four sports were played throughout the weekend: Power Soccer, Wheelchair Basketball, Stand Up Amputee Basketball, and Wheelchair Rugby. Teams from Tucson and the Phoenix area battled it out on the courts, for 3 days. The 1st place teams received a hand-crafted trophy, made of steel and wood, by the Oxide Company.
The first place standings for Duel in the Desert were:
Power Soccer:
1st- Ability360 FC
Wheelchair Rugby:
1st- UA Wheelchair Rugby
Wheelchair Basketball:
1st- UA D1 Team
Stand Up Amputee Basketball:
1st- AMP 1
In addition to the competitions, attendees of the event enjoyed lunch & dinner, and an after-party to celebrate the event and the athleticism of the competitors.
Throughout the tournament, approximately 200 attendees came through the doors of Sports & Fitness Center to witness the Duel in the Desert. Without the generous support of our sponsors, this exciting event would not have been possible. Thank you to our presenting sponsor Bank of America, who also sent staff and volunteers to assist with the event. Thank you to Ability Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Braun Ability, AZ Spinal Cord Injury Association, Performance Mobility, and iFly. Huge thank you to all our volunteers who helped run another amazing tournament.
We hope to see you all next year!