Doing Hard Things My Way: Adaptive Athlete Scholarship
While often overlooked, there are many adaptive and disabled athletes who embody resilience, determination, and the spirit of perseverance.
Founded by athlete and advocate Chad Williams, the Doing Hard Things My Way Adaptive Athlete Scholarship provides recognition and assistance to student-athletes who take on challenges with courage and continue to push forward, doing hard things their way and changing the face of sports.
This scholarship seeks to help adaptive or disabled athletes transition into college while continuing to pursue their passion for sports, fitness, or personal growth.
Any high school senior who is a student-athlete with a physical disability may apply for this scholarship opportunity.
To apply, tell us about yourself, what challenges you’ve faced, and how you’ve adapted in sports and in life to continue doing hard things. Additionally, upload a photo of you playing your sport.
Share your story as an adaptive or disabled athlete. We want to hear how you’ve faced challenges, adapted, and found your own way to keep doing hard things, both in sports and in life.
You might include:
-How you got started as an athlete
-A challenge you’ve overcome related to your disability or training
-What being an adaptive athlete means to you
-How sports have shaped your mindset, confidence, or goals
-How you plan to continue pushing forward as you move into college
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FAQ
The application deadline is May 10, 2026. Winners will be announced on Jun 11, 2026.
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Award amounts per winner are designated by the donor. Check the award amount for a detailed breakdown.
The winner will be publicly announced on Jun 11, 2026. Prior to the announcement date, we may contact finalists with additional questions about their application. We will work with donors to review all applications according to the scholarship criteria. Winners will be chosen based on the merit of their application.
Award checks will be sent to the financial aid office of the winner's academic institution or future academic institution in their name to be applied to their tuition, and in the name of their institution (depending on the school's requirements). If the award is for a qualified educational non-tuition expense, we will work with the winner directly to distribute the award and make sure it goes towards qualified expenses.
Before we award the scholarship, the winner will be required to confirm their academic enrollment status. Depending on the circumstances, verification of Student ID and/or their most recent transcript will be required.
If you have any questions about this scholarship or the Bold.org platform, just email contact@bold.org and we’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Yes. The terms and conditions for this scholarship can be found here.
