Local Sled Hockey Tournament

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Athletes from around the region are competing in Fargo at the 2nd Annual Sled Hockey Tournament.

It’s a competition for people with and without disabilities.

Brynn Duncan is one of the athletes competing in the 2nd Annual Sled Hockey Tournament.

She’s been in the sport for six years.

She was in a car crash seven years ago and now gets around in a wheelchair.

The sport is helping her move on.

“Being able to know that I was able to play different sports with people that were like me and my life wasn’t over,” said Duncan of Moorhead

She usually plays a forward position.

“It’s a lot of contact with people,” said Duncan.

There are two teams from HOPE INC, a Moorhead based nonprofit that helps kids with mobility challenges.

There are also teams from Minneapolis and Canada.

“Once you get in a sled you can’t tell the difference and that’s what’s great about our program you’re not able to distinguish who has the disability and who doesn’t,” said Hope Inc. Executive Director Adair Grommesh.

Sled Hockey isn’t only about the competition; it’s also a chance for people to connect.

“It’s like a community of people that you get to be with and they play just like you,” said Duncan.

Stephen Zacharias’s son was born with Spina Bifida and his team won their first game at the tournament.

“Just to see that he can go out and do, you know his best at a sport and be happy about it and it just you know motivates him to do a lot more than with just hockey,” said Zacharias.

“I guess the main thing about this tournament is to show hockey’s for everybody. Anybody can play hockey,” said Grommesh.

It’s a sport that many can try, whether you have a mobility disability or not.

The tournament goes through Sunday.

The proceeds of the event go to Hope Inc. and their planned trip to a national tournament in Buffalo.