Mike Peters
Chairman & CEO
About RISE
RISE Adaptive Sports hosts free places to play, compete, volunteer, and belong through adaptive recreation across Dallas–Fort Worth.
- Founded 2007
- Free to participate
- Disability-led
Our story
RISE was founded in 2007 by Paul Gray (1954–2022), who built it into the Dallas–Fort Worth home for adaptive recreation. Wheelchair rugby has run since about 2008 and is our longest-standing program. We now offer twelve sports on the water and in the gym.
Our adaptive water sports program runs at Meadowmere Park on Lake Grapevine. The park is on federal land owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and leased to the City of Grapevine. RISE operates there under an agreement with the City. A custom 300-foot accessible dock anchors the site. Gym sports run at Georgia Farrow Recreation Center, where the City of Irving provides the space.
Each year we recognize the people and partners who make this community what it is. See every honoree since 2010 on the Wall of Honor.
Sport protection and participant safety
Read our Sport Protection and Participant Safety Manual, find protection contacts, and learn how to report a concern.
Leadership
RISE is led by people who are close to the programs, the families, and the daily work of making adaptive recreation feel like community.
Randy Kilpatrick
Program Director
Joel Hendrix
Equipment Manager
Catrina Stephenson
Program Coordinator
Danny Peltier
Development Director & Wheelchair Football Coach
Marlene Brandt
Director of Experiences
Every RISE program is about more than the activity itself. Marlene helps create the moments that make people feel welcome, connected, and part of the community. From meals and hospitality to tournaments, celebrations, and special events, she helps ensure every experience reflects the heart of RISE.
Tiffany Bowen
Director of Experiences & Youth Partnerships
Tiffany believes service builds community. She coordinates participant experiences while leading youth volunteer partnerships, including the Young Men's Service League. As a longtime RISE family, she has seen firsthand how serving others changes lives, and she helps young volunteers discover that same purpose while supporting athletes and their families.
Neil Simonson
Rugby Tournament Table Lead & Water Programs Volunteer Trainer
Neil runs the referee tables at wheelchair rugby tournaments and teaches volunteers how to safely start participants in the water or from the dock.
Albert Pruitt
Boat Driver & Hydrofoil Surfer
Board & legacy leadership
Governance at RISE also carries the memory of the people who have kept showing up year after year.
Mike Peters
Chairman & CEO
Mike serves as RISE's volunteer Chairman & CEO, connecting the daily work of programs, governance, fundraising, technology, and long-term planning so the organization can keep growing around the people it serves.
Rick Brauer
Board Member
Rick is one of RISE's longest-standing members and a steady voice for the community's history, continuity, and member experience.
Rob Ritter
Board Member
Rob is a longtime RISE board leader and supporter whose service has been recognized across the Wall of Honor, including Board Philanthropy of the Year and Board Member of the Year.
Affiliations
Move United
Part of the Move United network of adaptive sports organizations.
USA Wheelchair Football League
Irving Outlaws Wheelchair Football Club (renamed from Dallas Cowboys WFC; Cowboys contract ended 2026)
United States Wheelchair Rugby Association (USWRA)
RISE hosts sanctioned tournaments
Financial transparency
RISE Adventures, Inc. (DBA RISE Adaptive Sports) is a 501(c)(3), EIN 20-8646346, and has filed a full IRS Form 990 every year since 2012. In fiscal year 2024: $541,611 revenue, $435,535 expenses, and $837,078 net assets.
See the full accountability report — the year's numbers, where the money goes, what got built or our Form 990 filings on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.