Transcending Sport: “It’s Called Normal” fuels adaptive athletes through new award

By John Kriescher for VolleyballMag

On the eve of the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, ICN (It’s Called Normal) Athletics has awarded Berklee Andrews its first ICN Transcend Award, which will be given annually to an adaptive athlete who embodies excellence in volleyball and transcends sport.

Adaptive athletes and those with physical impairments like Andrews, who was born missing her left arm below the elbow, face tremendous barriers to competing at the highest levels. These obstacles include social/societal perceptions, difficulties obtaining expensive adaptive equipment, and a lack of knowledge regarding physical training/methodology specific to adaptive populations. 

The Paralympic Games, of course, represent an incredible opportunity for these athletes to compete on the largest stage, under the brightest lights, against the most talented peers. 

But not every gifted adaptive athlete has the opportunity to play on the Paralympic stage. Several of the most athletic sports are not included in the Games. Andrews, for one, is an incredible example of such an athlete breaking the mold in a sport that does not yet have Paralympic standing.

Andrews, 20, played four years of high school volleyball — and basketball and softball — before attending Texas Tech. After a semester, she realized how much she missed volleyball.

In December 2022 Andrews won a gold medal at the World Beach ParaVolley Regional Development Event.

“My passion for beach volleyball was re-ignited,” she recalled.

A month later, she moved to Florida to attend Lake-Sumter State College and play beach volleyball. Read more about that here, where the 5-foot-5 Andrews and partner Alanis Figueroa Rivera were named 2023 second-team All-Americans.

Since learning to throw a ball as a toddler, Andrews has embraced the challenges of being an athlete with a limb difference.

“Being born with one arm has allowed me to learn something from every barrier to find ways to make myself better,” Andrews said. “It has fueled my determination to excel in sports, but more importantly, it has helped me shed light on making life beautiful.”

Beach paravolley is the three-person adaptive format of beach volleyball that works within the Paralympic classification system. World ParaVolley, the international organization affiliated with the International Paralympic Committee, aims to submit the sport for potential inclusion in the Brisbane 2032 Paralympic Games, and competitions like the one Andrews won are critical steps toward that goal.

Her next goal is to play beach volleyball at Stephen F. Austin, becoming the first beach volleyball student-athlete with a limb difference to compete at the NCAA Division I level.

“I’ve coached Olympic and Paralympic volleyball gold medalists, and Berklee has what it takes to compete at any level,” said Jon Aharoni, founder of ICN. “Her efforts over the past year have truly transcended beach volleyball, and she is making it normal for adaptive athletes to succeed on any court, whether in college or the Paralympics. We’re so pleased to reward her hard work and invest in her future through the ICN Transcend Award.”

Andrews’ ICN Transcend Award includes a grant to support expenses for training, competitions, and adaptive equipment. Thanks to a partnership with Slunks, the award also includes a gear package to outfit Andrews in her quest for excellence.  

“I am deeply honored to be part of ICN and I’m so grateful for this support,” Andrews said. “Growing up playing sports with a disability has been a privilege, and ICN is making it normal for athletes like me to compete at the highest levels.”

Normalizing adaptive beach volleyball

Beach volleyball is not known for having a strong representation of individuals with disabilities, but ICN is working to change that through partnerships with national tournaments, clubs, and legendary athletes. Over the past year, Andrews joined ICN to compete alongside adaptive athletes and elevate adaptive sports at other major volleyball competitions. 

Thanks to a partnership between ICN and USA Volleyball Gulf Coast Region, led by Commissioner Philip Bryant, the adaptive athletes traveled to Gulf Shores, Alabama, this past May for an event coinciding the adjacent NCAA Beach Volleyball Championship. There, they teamed up with local club coaches to prepare youth and junior players for their competitions in the 2024 USA Volleyball BeachFest National Qualifier.

ICN also held an adaptive beach volleyball clinic to raise awareness and introduce young players to adaptive sports, and players connected with Olympians Todd Rogers, Holly McPeak, Gayle Malone, Nicole Branagh, and Dain Blanton.

In July, thanks to Tom Galecke, Andrews and the ICN team competed in several divisions at Waupaca Boatride — the nation’s largest outdoor grass volleyball tournament with more than 3,000 teams—in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. They also joined Team Pineapple Volleyball Club, led by Lloyd Ball, to lead a youth clinic. 

Additionally, Aharoni and ICN co-founder Dave Newkirk, a three-time Paralympian, have continued to raise awareness of adaptive athletics and help develop athletes and veterans with disabilities. Over the summer, they coached the United States Marine Corps sitting volleyball team in the 2024 Department of Defense Warrior Games, where the team won a silver medal, earning their best finish in 11 years. They also partnered with Challenged Athletes Foundation to host an Adaptive Beach Volleyball Clinic in San Diego, where more than 20 athletes from across the United States and South America spent three days competing and honing their skills.

“Looking ahead to 2025, we’re planning to partner with legendary athletes like Kerri Walsh Jennings and Randy Stoklos to elevate adaptive beach volleyball and bring more attention to our growing sport,” Aharoni said. “We can’t do this alone, and we’re so grateful for our community partners who are helping to make beach volleyball more inclusive and cultivate the next generation of extraordinary athletes.”

A gift to ICN will enable adaptive athletes like Andrews to step onto any court and excel, whether competing in Division I beach volleyball or chasing Paralympic—or even Olympic—dreams. Support will help grow the sport of beach volleyball by funding training programs and clinics, specialized equipment for athletes, and competition expenses.

Backed by ICN, Andrews is looking ahead to a future of limitless opportunities.

“While I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished so far, I’m most excited for the opportunities that lie ahead in beach volleyball,” she said. “Alongside ICN, I feel empowered to help elevate adaptive athletics to new heights and help athletes like me believe in their potential.”

The post Transcending Sport: “It’s Called Normal” fuels adaptive athletes through new award appeared first on Volleyballmag.com.