Merrick teen Austin Bird shares joy of wheelchair hoops

A Merrick teen who has used a wheelchair since the age of 6 is teaching peers about the importance of inclusion and introducing them to adaptive sports.

Austin Bird, an eighth grader at Merrick Avenue Middle School, recently educated his classmates on sporting opportunities available to individuals with disabilities and led them in wheelchair basketball lessons during their physical education classes over a two-day span in November.

Austin spoke to 19 classes and more than 900 students during the lessons and also created and shared a video that included interviews with other adaptive athletes, he said.

“I feel like there is not enough wheelchair awareness in the world,” said Austin, 13. “Speaking from my own experience, I’ve had people tell me I can’t do certain sports, so I was hoping to show them that people in a wheelchair can do the same sports you can.”

Austin has used a wheelchair since being diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis, a neurological condition that causes sudden weakness in the arms or legs, after a virus attacked his spinal cord following a case of strep throat in 2018. The polio-like condition affects an area of the spinal cord called gray matter associated with a person’s motor function, his family said.

To stay active, Austin joined an adaptive basketball team four years ago for youth 18 and under called the New York Rolling Fury, which is dedicated to “empowering young student-athletes” and “offering them a platform to excel and shine in the sport,” according to its website. He is also part of a competitive swim team through Long Island Express, a member club of USA Swimming.

The Rolling Fury’s executive director and head coach, Christopher Bacon, called Austin “a true advocate for adaptive sports.”

“As Austin’s coach, I’ve seen his remarkable resilience and leadership shine,” Bacon said. “Austin’s positivity is a radiant force, showing us that sharing our stories builds bridges, fosters unity and opens doors for everyone to thrive.”

At the Merrick Avenue school, Austin’s lessons range from wheelchair relay races to “partner pulling,” when one athlete holds onto the back of a teammate’s wheelchair and is pulled across the court. The wheelchairs were provided by the Rolling Fury, Austin said.

“Students learned that real strength isn’t just physical, it’s the courage to share your story and the willingness to understand someone else’s,” Merrick Avenue’s assistant principal, Nathalie Job, said in a statement.

Nominate a Long Islander who goes above and beyond or serves as an inspiration to their community. Send details and photograph to Michael Ebert, michael.ebert@newsday.com (photos should be high-resolution). Photos may be used in other publications affiliated with Newsday.

By Michael R. Ebert

michael.ebert@newsday.com

Michael R. Ebert is an education researcher and has worked for Newsday in various capacities since 2003. He was part of an 11-person team named as 2008 Pulitzer Prize finalists for investigative coverage of the LIRR's platform safety issues.