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What is Wheel RIISE?

The RIISE organization was founded on Purdue University’s campus in 2020 with the mission to bring adaptive sports, inclusivity, and an overall awareness of physical disabilities to the Purdue community. In 2019, the inaugural event was hosted at Purdue University. Sponsored by the collaboration of Purdue Athletics and Purdue Engineering, the men’s and women’s wheelchair basketball teams from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign participated in an inner-team scrimmage in Holloway Gymnasium. Participants from the local Lafayette Spinners were also in attendance. Fans and student-athletes from Purdue jumped in the wheelchairs themselves to experience what it is like to play wheelchair basketball. In addition, guest speakers presented topics about adaptive sports, specifically where engineering and sports intersect. After the success following this event, the RIISE organization was founded with the intent to continue hosting similar events as well as create engineering projects to further the organization’s mission.

In April of 2023, RIISE revived the event after the COVID-19 pandemic, giving the event an updated name, Wheel RIISE, with the intent to continue hosting and growing the event annually. On Saturday, April 22nd, the University of Illinois’ wheelchair basketball teams returned to Purdue’s campus to participate, as well as the local wheelchair basketball team, the Lafayette Spinners. The event featured speakers and engineering projects, and it was a collaboration between Purdue’s College of Engineering and Athletic Department, among other sponsors.

Wheel RIISE 2025

In 2025, RIISE is hosting Wheel RIISE where the organization hopes to include other universities across the Big Ten and Midwest. They are hoping to connect multiple universities to join the cause to raise awareness for adaptive sports. At the event, engineering and athletics will be dually highlighted.

Along with the engineering aspect, we will also host wheelchair basketball exhibition games with participation from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign as well as the local Lafayette Spinners. The goal of this event is to share the talents of adaptive sports athletes with the community at large, highlight the connection between engineering and athletics, and foster inner-collegiate support for the cause amongst Midwest universities. With direct support from Purdue’s College of Engineering and Athletic’s Department, RIISE is excited to host this collaborative event!