Meet our Paralympians

Amaris Vazquez Collazo

ATHLETICS, TEAM PUERTO RICO

Amaris was born in Puerto Rico with Club Foot. At 14-months old her parents made the decision to amputate her foot. Amaris and her family joined DASA at a young age, and she has participated in many sports over the years including swimming, Camp WeCanDu and, of course, Track & Field.

In 2022, Amaris was Internationally Classified and made Team Puerto Rico. Since being classified, Amaris has competed in 4 international events in the last 7 months. She set personal records in Lima, Peru for all 3 of her events winning gold in all events. Amaris is working towards competing at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris in the 100m, 200m, and Long Jump.

Amaris lives in Lake St. Louis, MO and is a Senior at Liberty High School. Her goal is to compete at the collegiate level, and she is still weighing her options on where she will attend college.

Kerri Morgan

ATHLETICS, TEAM USA. RETIRED.

Kerri Morgan was born in Port Jefferson, NY. When she was 1 year old, Kerri contracted Transverse Myelitis. Adaptive Sports were not readily available when she was young, but that didn’t stop her from being a competitive swimmer. When she was in Graduate School at Washington University in St. Louis, a friend introduced her to Wheelchair Rugby. Kerri became the first woman to be on the US Quad Rugby Team! To cross train for rugby, Kerri did wheelchair racing. In 2008, Kerri represented the USA in her first Paralympic Games in wheelchair racing. Following those games, her focus became Racing. Kerri, a T52, is a three-time Paralympian with four Paralympic medals. She’s won 15 world championship medals, including three golds. And after coming away with gold in the 100-meter at the 2019 world championship, she was seeded first in the world in that event. Unfortunately, the International Paralympic Committee canceled all T52 Women’s races right before the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. So, Kerri’s racing career came to a halt.

Kerri continues to play Wheelchair Rugby with DASA’s Rugby Team and is married to DASA’s Program Director, Meghan, and they have twin boys, Sullivan and Oliver.

David Horvath

PARALYMPIC POWERLIFTING, TEAM USA

David was born in Linn, Missouri with Spina Bifida. He and his family joined DASA when David was in High School. David competed in Track & Field for a few years before finding his passion in powerlifting making the US team in 2021.

David is currently a student at Lindenwood University. He lives in university housing, but when not on campus he lives with his family in Linn, Missouri. David is currently training with a Team USA strength coach out in Kansas City.

David competed in the ParaPan America games that was located at Logan University this last summer. He won silver in the rookie class and bronze in his overall weight class!

Brett Forbes

PARALYMPIC POWERLIFTING, TEAM USA

Brett was born in Boone Terre, MO with Spina Bifida. He and his family joined DASA in 2018 with Brett playing wheelchair basketball. 3 years later Brett found powerlifting and made the US Team as a 16yr old and competes in both adult a youth competitions. Brett is currently training with a Team USA strength coach out of Kansas City.

Brett currently lives in Bonne Terre with his mom and dad and is a Junior at North St Francois High School. Brett competed in the ParaPan America games that was located at Logan University and won gold in both his weight class and the overall junior category. He also won silver in his weight class in the adult category.

Eric Newby

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY, TEAM USA

Eric was born in Nashville, Illinois. In 2006, Eric broke his neck in a car accident the night of his high school graduation. Eric found rugby weeks after his accident while going through therapy. Eric has been playing with team USA long enough that he certainly isn’t the “Newbie” but thanks to his last name that is what everyone calls him. Newby has been on Team USA since 2013 and has represented Team USA in the last 2 Paralympic teams winning silver both times. Eric currently lives in Godfrey, IL with his wife and 3 year old daughter. He works as the marketing coordinator at DASA.

Jake Daily

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY, TEAM USA

Jake was born in Freeburg, Illinois. He broke his neck diving into a pool in 2014 when he was 22. Jake found DASA while working through rehab and was out at DASA events 1 week later!

While Jake has not been on the Paralympic team since being a part of Team USA, he is hopeful to be on the team this next cycle to compete in Paris and represent our country. He was a part of the National team that brought home silver in the 2022 World Championships.

Jake currently lives in Freeburg, IL and works as a substitute teacher for the Freeburg school district.

Sarah Adam

WHEELCHAIR RUGBY, TEAM USA

Sarah was born in Naperville, IL. She was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis at 25 while studying occupational therapy. Sarah found DASA while working on experience hours for her schooling and transitioned from volunteer to athlete in 2019. She has been a member of the USA Rugby Team since 2022.

Sarah currently lives in St Louis Missouri. She is a full-time professor of Occupational therapy at Saint Louis University.

Josh Pauls

SLED HOCKEY, TEAM USA

Josh Pauls is from Green Brook, N.J. He found a passion for sled hockey at an early age with hopes of becoming the first NHL goalie with no legs. Josh was born without tibia bones and had both legs amputated at 10 months old. After a few years and some convincing from his parents, he joined a local team, the New York Rangers Junior Sled Hockey club team in 2002. Moving through the ranks quickly and showing promise, he was invited to a USA Hockey Development Camp in 2007. Shortly after, he made his U.S. National Sled Hockey Team debut in 2008. In 2010, at age 17, he was the youngest member of the gold medal-winning squad at the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games. He went on to make his second Paralympic team, winning gold in Sochi and continues to be an intricate piece in the team’s international success. Josh was named Best Defenseman at the 2015 World Championships and 2016 Pan Pacific Championships.

Josh is a four-time Paralympic Gold Medalist (2010, 2014, 2018, 2022). He has been playing on the DASA team for 10 years and continues to be a leader to our next generation of sled hockey players!

Katie Ladlie

SLED HOCKEY, TEAM USA

Katie Ladlie was born in Troy, MO. She was born with Bockenheimer’s syndrome, a rare vascular malformation. In June 2011 she had her left leg amputated above the knee to alleviate the pain caused by a lack of cartilage in the knee. Shortly after, Katie was introduced to adaptive sports at DASA and began playing Sled Hockey in 2013. Her international debut was in 2015! Katie helped Team USA win gold at the 2022 Women’s World Challenge. The entire US Women’s Sled Hockey Team hopes that Women’s Sled Hockey will be included in the next Paralympic Games!

Katie has been an athlete, volunteer, intern and employee at DASA! In 2022, she began working as a Recreational Therapist at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital in Boston, MA. While we miss having Katie on DASA’s Sled Hockey Team, we will always be proud of her accomplishments!

Billy Hanning

SLED HOCKEY, TEAM USA. RETIRED.

Billy Hanning was born in High Ridge, MO. At the age of 18, Hanning lost his right leg to cancer. Billy first learned about sled hockey after watching a local TV broadcast that featured DASA’s Steve Cash. He joined the DASA Sled Hockey Team in 2008 and assisted the team in winning the 2013 USA Hockey Adult Sled National Championship. As a U.S. National Development Sled Hockey Team member, he was called up to the U.S. National Team in 2012 to play in the World Sled Hockey Challenge, marking his international competition debut. Billy continued to compete with the U.S. National Team, winning Gold in 2015 and Silver in 2017 at World Championships and the Gold Medal at the 2018 Paralympics in PyeongChang.

Steve Cash

SLED HOCKEY, TEAM USA. RETIRED.

Steve Cash was born in Overland, MO and was a key resource in goal for the U.S. Paralympic Sled Hockey Team. Cash, whose right leg was amputated due to osteosarcoma (bone cancer) at age three, started his sled hockey career with the DASA St. Louis Blues in 2004 and made his first U.S. Sled Hockey National Team in 2005. In 2009, he was named the USOC’s Paralympic SportsMan of the Year. Following the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games, in which he was named the tournament’s MVP for stopping all 33 shots over five games, Cash was awarded an ESPY for Best Male Athlete with a Disability. Cash is a FOUR-TIME Paralympian, winning a Bronze in 2006 and Gold Medals in the 2010, 2014, and 2018 Paralympic Games. Steve Cash is the FIRST Paralympian to be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame!

Steve retired from Team USA but continues to coach the DASA Athletes and be an integral part of teaching our next generation of Sled Hockey Players!