A Paralympics watch party hosted by Comcast and the Seattle Sports Commission brought Washington Paralympians, local veterans and community leaders together last week to celebrate adaptive athletics and support veterans living with spinal cord injuries.
The event was held at the Northwest Paralyzed Veterans of America (NWPVA) offices in downtown Burien, where attendees gathered to mark the start of the Paralympic Games and highlight the role adaptive sports can play in rehabilitation and independence, according to Comcast.
While listening to an inspiring program, attendees enjoyed a European inspired breakfast buffet catered by local women owned, Gourmando.
Joy Cochran, president of the NWPVA, opened the gathering by welcoming participants and emphasizing the organization’s commitment to supporting veterans with spinal cord injuries. She was joined by Carl Gipson, vice president of government affairs at Comcast, and Beth Knox, president and chief executive officer of the Seattle Sports Commission, who spoke about increasing visibility for adaptive athletes and expanding opportunities for veterans to participate in adaptive recreation.
The program included a fireside conversation moderated by Alex Webster, director of sporting events development at the Seattle Sports Commission. Former Washington Paralympians Lindi Marcusen and Taylor Swanson shared personal stories about competing in adaptive sports and discussed how athletics played a role in their recovery and personal growth following life changing injuries. Of particular interest were both competitors’ mentions of the calm they could feel amidst the roar of the stadium audiences, knowing that they had prepared to their fullest. Both acknowledged that advances in technology continue to offer them new prosthetic options and the possibility of improved athletic achievements. The athletes also shared messages of encouragement to fellow adaptive sports competitors, highlighting the importance of finding and cultivating support from a personal community as well as the value of sustained effort in training.
You can learn more about these inspiring athletes here;
https://www.teamusa.com/profiles/lindi-marcusen
Veterans from the VA Puget Sound Spinal Cord Injury Unit attended the event and shared how the Paralympic Games can motivate those working through rehabilitation.
The event concluded with attendees watching Team USA compete in wheelchair curling from Cortina Milano, 2026, turning the event into both a celebration of Paralympic excellence and an important moment of community connection for veterans and supporters throughout the region.
