My Intro to the Amazing Partnership Between the US Paralympics and the Telecom Industry

An Unforgettable Experience at Adaptive Spirit 2022

What does it mean to adapt? In business, we have unlimited examples from the past two years. For the U.S National Paralympic Ski and Snowboard Team, they have a lifetime of exceptional adaptations. I recently had the opportunity to meet some of the athletes firsthand—fresh from their stellar performance at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing. I heard their stories of resilience and adaptability; I witnessed their athleticism that knew no mountain was unsurpassable, and I left with a deep appreciation and respect for them as well as for the telecom industry who makes this event possible—every year for 26 years now!

Adaptive Spirit, held annually in Vail, Colorado, is a rare combination of networking, giving, and business; it’s the premier networking event for Telecom which also raises funds that allow the U.S. Paralympians to remain the top adaptive ski team in the world. In short, it’s good for business and good for the Olympians!

GlobalLogic was honored to be a Silver Sponsor at the 26^th annual Adaptive Spirit event. Yes, I connected with customers and vendors throughout the interactive agenda. Indeed, I built business relationships. But most importantly, we gave back. Over the last 25+ years, Adaptive Spirit, a non-profit trade association, has raised millions of dollars for these athletes. This was GlobalLogic’s—and my—first time attending the event.

Getting to Know the Athletes Who Had Just Returned from Beijing

The timing of the event could not have been more perfect. The Paralympic Ski and Snowboard Team had just returned from Beijing and the 2022 Winter Paralympics with a host of medals. As part of the three-day event agenda, we got to interact with them socially and on the slopes. I can personally say now that I have met and mingled with a gold medalist!

Everyone was thrilled as the athletes showcased their amazing talents throughout the weekend. On Friday, they offered pointers and encouragement during a race clinic, followed by a Youth Race for kids 15 and younger who were able to ski alongside the Olympic athletes. And Saturday was Race Day down the Golden Peak Race Arena course.

Interacting with the athletes was definitely the high point of the event and hearing their personal stories of overcoming daunting odds was truly inspiring. For example, the story of Oksana Masters is one of adaptation and resilience. She was born in Ukraine after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster with several radiation-induced birth defects. She was adopted by an American speech therapy professor and began training for competitive sports at the age of 13, winning medals for rowing, cross-country skiing, and cycling at multiple Paralympic events. She brought home three Gold medals and four Silver medals from the 2022 Winter Paralympics!

Masters’ teammates have similarly motivating stories, such as Aaron Pike, who was shot in a hunting accident at the age of 13 and still competes in cross-country skiing. He recently finished second at the 2022 Boston Marathon. Another such story is Ian Jansing who was born with cerebral palsy but went on to become a ski racer and competitor at various Paralympic Games and championships.

Image from L to R: Ed Clark, AVP Client Engagement, GlobalLogic | Ian Jansing, USA Paralympic Athlete | Maneesh Muralidhar, AVP, Client Engagement, GlobalLogic

Image from L to R: Oksana Masters, USA Paralympic Athlete | Poorvi Tikoo, Freshman, Hopkinton High School | Sameer Tikoo, SVP, Communication Services BU, GlobalLogic

Image from L to R: Poorvi Tikoo, Freshman, Hopkinton High School | Aaron Pike, USA Paralympic Athlete | Sameer Tikoo, SVP, Communication Services BU, GlobalLogic

A Movement That Matters—Join Us

The Adaptive Spirit Annual Event lived up to its promise. On the business front, we had the opportunity to network with the world’s leading communication service providers (CSPs) and network equipment providers (NEPs). We were able to share our over twenty years of experience in Communications and our portfolio of cutting-edge solutions in the telecom industry using 5G, IoT, AI/ML and more.

But most importantly? We were able to recognize, reward, and support individuals who didn’t allow challenging circumstances to stop them from fulfilling their dreams, and, instead, used these circumstances to inspire others.

Adaptive Spirit is the perfect complement to our Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) program, The GlobalLogic Foundation, where we focus on Education, Environment, Health & Wellbeing, and Community Service. We also invest in Human Capital, cultivating a multi-faceted culture with DEI at the forefront of our efforts. In fact, our CEO, Shashank Samant, signed the CEO Action of Diversity & Inclusion Pledge, joining over 2000 CEOs committed to advancing diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

As we work towards making a long-term, positive impact across the globe, we look forward to attending and sponsoring the Adaptive Spirit Annual Event for years to come. Co-chair and founding member Steve Raymond told Light Reading that Adaptive Spirit’s success has taken the “work of countless people who felt passionate about the Paralympic movement,” and we encourage other businesses to join us at next year’s event. Donations can also be made to the U.S. Paralympics Ski and Snowboard Team.

We’re excited to be a part of this movement that matters. To learn more about what GlobalLogic stands for and about our consulting and software engineering partner services, contact us today.

Together, we’ll build the exceptional.