About the NYRR Wheelchair Training Program

Jennifer Heiner-Pisano works as a retail director at a New Jersey running company. An avid runner herself, Jennifer Heiner-Pisano is a member of New York Road Runners (NYRR).

United by a common mission to inspire people through running, NYRR sponsors a range of programs for people of all ages. One of its dozens of programs, the NYRR Wheelchair Training Program, reaches out to regional children and young people with physical disabilities.

Serving participants from age 6 to age 21, the NYRR Wheelchair Training Program provides weekly training sessions and in-school resources to youth wheelchair athletes free of charge. The program also hosts competitive road and track wheelchair racing events.

After measuring each participant for best racing chair fit and positioning, the NYRR Wheelchair Training Program helps them find the best method for propelling their chair. Working with coaches, teachers, and parents, the program strives to get the most out of each athlete’s push. It also teaches participants a range of wheelchair racing techniques and rules.