37 msfocusmagazine.org The benefits of adaptive sports are not only physical. Many participants also experience deep emotional shifts. “I have a whole new family that can understand what I’m going through. I can relate to them and they can relate to me,” Mona said. Now, Mona says she can truly live up to the “Perky Hornets” name once again. She has regained her bubbly disposition, but most important, she says she is a part of some- thing bigger than herself. “The camaraderie is what makes us keep moving. You know if you’re down somebody is going to be there to help you up, physically and mentally.” Her score? She admits it could be better. In fact, her team was awarded trophies for the worst team in the league, “beating” seven other teams for that title – two years in a row. Mona does get her share of strikes and spares. Because they are elusive, she says those small victories are much sweeter. “It’s so amazing. It’s a feeling like just ecstasy. It’s overwhelming. My whole body gets tingly and happy.”