A Taylor girl's wheelchair basketball team will take on the Truman High School girls varsity in a fund-raising wheelchair basketball game starting at 7 p.m. March 18 at the high school, 11211 Beech Daly Road.
Krysten Berthiaume, the Taylor girl on the wheelchair basketball team known as the Sterling Heights Challengers, attends Truman. Wheelchair basketball is just like the regular game, except the players play from wheelchairs. The Truman girls team also will play in wheelchairs.
Krysten is the daughter of Myra and Kirt Berthiaume. Krysten's coed team is one of only three wheelchair basketball teams in Michigan. Players range in age from 12 to 17 years old. The players have various physical disabilities and involvement on the team provides an avenue to increase physical conditioning and endurance and improves self-confidence, self-esteem, social skills and quality of life.
Since there are only three teams in the state, Krysten's team must travel to compete. the other Michigan teams are from Grand Rapids and Canton, but the team has traveled to Seattle, Dallas, Fort Wayne, Denver and the states of Alabama, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Wisconsin.
The team is currently ranked fourth in the nation and could move up in the rankings with a win at the NWBA National Championship Games the week of April 5 in Denver. The game at Truman will help raise money to help fund the team's travel expenses to Denver.
Tickets are $1 for students and $3 for older fans.
For more information, call Myra Berthiaume at (734) 306-4759 or send e-mail to myra.berthiaume@ggp.com.
