At 13, Kiera knows what she likes: spending time with her friends, being outside, and, most of all, playing sled hockey.

“I like just hanging out with my friends at school,” she says. But when it comes to her favorite activity, she doesn’t hesitate. “Hockey mostly.”

Kiera first discovered sled hockey through a friend, Isaac, whom she met while he was playing. She had never tried the sport before, but decided to give it a shot.

“I was like, oh, I’ll try it,” she says. “So I never, like, knew about it, and I tried it, and I loved it.”

That first experience at The Chiller North turned into a passion, and Kiera has now been playing for three years. She plays defense for the Columbus Blades, an amateur adaptive sled hockey program. Her favorite part of the position? “Probably hitting people.”

Beyond the game itself, sled hockey has also given Kiera opportunities to meet people she may not have otherwise known.

“I’m meeting other people, like other people that are, like, the same, but different as you, and you can relate with them,” she says.

The Columbus Blades organize players by skill level, allowing them to move up as they gain experience. Kiera advanced from the novice level to a more advanced team after about a year.

For Kiera, some of her favorite hockey memories have come from competing. She remembers scoring her first goal during a scrimmage, and her biggest highlight so far has been winning nationals.

Kiera traveled with her team to Florida for the national sled hockey tournament, her second time competing at nationals. In addition to the games, she enjoyed spending time with her teammates, including hanging out by the pool and attending a team dance.

The team has also traveled to places including Michigan, Texas, and Missouri. During one trip, Kiera toured AT&T Stadium, adding another memorable experience to her time on the road.

While competition is a big part of the sport, Kiera says sled hockey has helped her grow in other ways, too. Playing has helped her become more confident, try things even when she feels worried, and feel more included.

She also appreciates having the opportunity to connect with other people with similar disabilities.

When asked what she would tell another young person with a disability who is thinking about trying a sport, Kiera keeps her advice simple.

“Do it,” she says. “If you don’t like it, you can try a different one. Find one that you like.”

Kiera has already set her sights on a future goal: making the USA sled hockey team. For now, she is looking forward to getting back on the ice and continuing to improve.

If she could play hockey anywhere in the world, she would choose Europe. And if she had to describe sled hockey in three words, her choices are “exciting,” “powerful,” and “confident.”

Kiera’s involvement in sled hockey is one part of a larger picture of independence and opportunity. Her dad Joe says supports through the Delaware County Board of Developmental Disabilities have also helped Kiera become more independent at home.

After the family moved to the area, they received help with accessibility improvements, such as ramps.

“Within three months of us moving here, we got a ramp in the garage, we got a ramp outside,” Joe says.

Joe also says Kiera’s Service and Support Administrator, Kim Rocheleau, has consistently checked in to see what the family needs.

“Kim’s always reaching out, asking, you know, what do you need? What can I do (to help)?” he says.

For Kiera, having the right supports at home helps her pursue the activities she enjoys and keep working toward her goals.

And with another hockey season ahead, she is ready to keep doing what she loves: getting on the ice, competing, and being part of a team.