Eric Gray
Catalyst Sports
Atlanta, GA USA
"We wanted to be that agent that provoked change in someone's life."
Career Roadmap
Eric's work combines: Sports, Environment & Nature, and Helping People
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
The good news is there's an endless amount of need for people who want to work in adaptive sports or work with people with disabilities. Find an organization that you can work for, partner with, or volunteer with that goes where your heart is. In this field especially, you don't want work to feel like work. You want it to be aligned with your heart and your passion.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Bachelor's Degree
Recreational Therapy
University of Georgia
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life has been direct
1.
Growing up with childhood cancer, I found belonging at a camp for kids like me, where I finally felt normal and understood.
2.
As a college soccer player who loved the outdoors, I discovered recreational therapy and realized adventure could transform lives.
3.
During an internship at the National Ability Center in Utah, I saw people with disabilities kayaking, climbing, and skiing, and it opened my eyes to what was possible.
4.
When I moved back to the Southeast, I noticed people with disabilities had little access to outdoor adventure and I felt called to change that.
5.
I founded Catalyst Sports to bring adaptive climbing and outdoor recreation to communities that had never offered these opportunities before.
6.
Our first major moment came when we guided a group of disabled veterans up the Grand Teton, showing the world what adaptive adventure could look like.
7.
What began with one climbing event grew as therapists and communities across the Southeast asked how they could bring Catalyst to their cities.
8.
Today Catalyst Sports operates in 14 cities, building communities where people with disabilities can access the outdoors and discover what they’re capable of.
Defining Moments
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
Growing up, I had childhood cancer. I went to a camp for kids with cancer, where I really felt normal and understood. It made me realize the importance of belonging for people with illness or disabilities.