History

Our Founder

Ashley Thomas, mother of three grown children, speaker, leader, 4th in the World in para kayaking, compassionate, outspoken, loyal, honest, advocate, all around mover and shaker…. Oh, by the way, she uses a wheelchair, and has lived her life with spina bifida.

Ashley believes that disability does not define outcomes, opportunities do.  We can teach and empower children and youth to live with disability vs living disabled.  As a community, we all have the honor and privilege to make a path that we all can go through.

Ashley is grateful for the rich life she has lived.  She has lived in several places in the US as well as living seven year in the UK.  She has traveled to several countries and see what can be, not all must be the same.  She founded Bridge II Sports, an adapted sports organization, using sport as a tool to build confidence, strength, and independence.

Ashley is a public speaker/trainer/writer on many issues in the world of disability, working within her community and the state for access to recreation.  Living with physical limits, blind/low vision, missing part of the body due to amputation, still requires activity to stay healthy for life.  Her creative side developed adapted sport competition such as Valor Games Southeast for our Veterans, August Madness, Paddle Lake Crabtree, and many more events. In the past, Bridge II Sports has run up to 10 year-round sports and hosted regional competitions.  The design is to include diverse types of physical disabilities in one event, nurturing understanding of different disabilities.

“I have seen and experienced firsthand the life changes it creates and the independence it fosters.  These are some of the reasons why I have become a strong advocate and leader for people with disabilities to have access to health, social inclusion, through adapted sports.”

In her spare time, Ashley likes to refinish furniture, make bath Fizzies, entertain and enjoy friendship and family.


A woman with blonde, curly hair smiling at the camera, wearing a dark top and a necklace.
A woman kayaking on a lake, wearing sunglasses, a cap with 'USA' on it, a yellow life jacket, and a light-colored long-sleeve shirt, holding a paddle.

Valor Games Southeast

Two men sitting on the indoor volleyball court floor, wearing matching blue Valor Games SE 2024 t-shirts, one with a leg injury resting on a foam roller, holding a volleyball, smiling at the camera, with sports equipment nearby.
Two people seated on chairs in a gymnasium, one holding juggling balls, surrounded by others in high-visibility vests.
Wheelchair basketball players on court during a game, with the ball falling towards the ground.
People playing sitting volleyball inside a gymnasium on a wooden floor, with a logo on the court, some participants sitting and others reaching to hit a volleyball over the net.

With the support of local organizations and community members, Bridge II Sports hosted Valor Games Southeast for 13 years, an annual three-day-long adaptive sports competition open to all veterans across the country with a disability and included both indoor and outdoor adaptive sports events. By providing expert staffing, lodging, transportation, and equipment needs, every athlete fully immersed themselves in the adaptive sports world in a supportive and uplifting environment.

From boccia, wheelchair basketball, and air rifle to the open water during kayaking, every Veteran learned new skills or solidified current ones. While gaining new connections, trialing different sport types, and learning about the adaptive opportunities available, this event helped promote increased quality of life, encouraging continued engagement in recreational ventures and improving an athlete's ability to re-integrate into their community while experiencing physical and mental healing benefits.