TRUCKEE, Calif. — For many athletes, the cost of participating in sports can already be daunting, with expenses ranging from lift tickets, race fees and equipment upgrades. For adaptive athletes, however, simply obtaining the specialized equipment needed to reach the trailhead, ski slope or starting line can cost tens of thousands of dollars more, creating barriers that can make returning to sport feel out of reach.

Those costs are driven by highly specialized equipment designed to meet each athlete’s specific needs. According to the Canadian Paralympic Committee, racing wheelchairs can cost between $12,000 and $15,000, while running blades often start around $4,500 and can exceed $25,000 depending on customization. In para-cycling, handcycles can reach $25,000 or more. Recreational adaptive gear can carry similarly steep price tags.

“All the equipment is incredibly specialized,” said Dani Trujillo, programs director for the High Fives Foundation, a nonprofit that helps individuals return to sports after life-changing injuries. “Every injury is different. Every spinal cord injury, amputation and brain injury is different, so everyone’s needs are very specific.”

Trujillo said adaptive equipment is rarely interchangeable.

“Assuming someone could feel comfortable using someone else’s equipment is like using your friend’s ski boots and hoping they fit,” she said. “There’s modification to size, length, power and just about anything you could imagine.”

The financial burden often extends beyond the equipment itself. Many people recovering from life-changing injuries face reduced earning capacity, higher medical costs and limited financial resources.

“A lot of individuals after a life-changing injury might not be able to work at the capacity they want, or maybe they’re living off disability,” Trujillo said. “If your means are not that great and now you’re looking at equipment that could be $25,000, it’s a huge impact.”

Research has shown that people with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty than people without disabilities and often face higher health care costs, even in systems with broad coverage. Combined with the expense of assistive technology, those factors can make participation in sport financially out of reach for many.

For Eric Wang, those barriers became clear after a life-changing injury permanently affected his lower-body mobility.

“My bikes before my accident were pretty expensive. I had a $5,000 road bike and another mountain bike,” he said. “But now, my current mountain bike is $22,000, so it’s a huge cost increase.”

Spending that much on equipment can be daunting, especially when athletes are unsure what will work for their needs. Through the High Fives Foundation, Wang was able to test multiple adaptive bikes before making a purchase. The organization also assisted him with grants that offset the cost.

“I was never a professional, but I was passionate about it — mountain biking, rock climbing,” Wang said. “When you get injured and you think to yourself you can’t do any of the things you love anymore, you think your life’s over.”

High Fives Foundation helped him shift that perspective.

“They basically said, ‘This is all possible. Let’s show you how it’s possible,'” he said.

The Truckee-based nonprofit provides two grant cycles each year to athletes recovering from life-changing injuries, helping cover the cost of adaptive equipment and access to outdoor recreation. In its 2026 Grant Cycle 1, the foundation distributed $359,750 to 90 athletes pursuing recovery through sport and movement.

Top-funded equipment included adaptive mountain bikes, sit-skis, handcycles and all-terrain mobility devices designed to return athletes to trails, mountains and outdoor spaces that play a central role in both physical and mental recovery.

For athletes like Wang, those tools represent more than equipment. They represent access, independence and a way back to the activities that once defined them.