Meet our newest StrongWheeled Together Award recipients! Today in Las Vegas, United Spinal presented these six talented people awards in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Performing Arts, Sports and Recreation, Visual Arts, Writing, and Youth Leadership. Our winners represent some of the best and brightest in the community of wheelchair users living in the United States.
Meet the Winners
Entrepreneurship and Innovation: Ryan Gebauer
Ryan is the owner of Ryan Realty Group, a real estate sales instructor and a dedicated volunteer and accessible housing advocate in his community. Thanks to him, people from our community are breaking into real estate like never before.
Performing Arts: King Khazm
When he’s not on the road touring, King Khazm is the Executive Director of 206 Universal, a Commissioner in the Seattle Disability Commission and a board member of the Here and Now Project, among numerous other commitments to hip hop and the disability community.
Sports and Recreation: Arthur Renowitzky
Arthur is the Executive Director and a co-founder of the Life Goes On Foundation and plays guard for the Golden State Road Warriors, who won the national championship in the National Wheelchair Basketball Association this past year.
Visual Arts: Xi Nan
Xi has exhibited her performance art and sculpture worldwide, including at the Venice Biennial, and participates in numerous nonprofit and philanthropic initiatives to lift up other artists with disabilities.
Writing: Anja Herrman
Anja has been published by the Reeve Foundation, Teen Vogue and the Huffington Post, and was part of the inaugural class of EmpowHer Camp, prompting her to write a groundbreaking paper on school districts and students with disabilities during school shootings.
Youth Leadership: Giana Bisnett
Giana is a young disability advocate who successfully persuaded her school district to purchase Evac-Chairs for its students with disabilities. She is now working to replicate her work and spread her message about disability rights and emergency preparedness around the nation.
SWTCon: Bringing the disability community together
The StrongWheeled Together Conference brought together members, chapter leaders, clinicians and corporate partners. The three-day event in Las Vegas offered opportunities that inspired connection, learning and action.
Through breakout sessions, attendees explored the role of technology in enabling independent living and a better quality of life for wheelchair users. Another priority was facilitating dialogue with clinicians about a better care experience for the disability community based on health equity principles.
The event showcased the collective brilliance of the disability community and exemplified the power we have when we work together as one team.
Learn more about United Spinal’s Strong Wheeled Together campaign. Join us by signing up for a free membership. To support our mission, donate here.
