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HISTORY

Celebrating 25 Years!

Navigators Adaptive Sports Club has stood as a powerful example of what vision, dedication, and community can build for 25 years! What began as a deeply personal mission grew into a transformative organization, opening doors for athletes of all abilities to discover strength, confidence, and a sense of belonging through sport.

Our Mission

To Inspire, motivate and help transform the lives of people living with disabilities.

Where We Started

Navigators Adaptive Sports traces its roots back to 1983 as an adaptive sports program at the A. Harry Moore School in Jersey City, New Jersey. Founded by Ms. Pat Putt, a dedicated staff member, the program initially focused on providing track and field opportunities for students with physical and cognitive disabilities. Under the sponsorship of Jersey City State University (now New Jersey City University), the program grew, with athletes competing in various events nationwide.

After Ms. Putt’s passing in 2000, the program faced closure due to the university’s budget cuts. However, the commitment of assistant coach Ken Brucato and the parents of the athletes led to the establishment of the North Jersey Navigators as an independent non-profit organization. This pivotal moment ensured the program’s continuation, which was now self-sustained through fundraising, donations, and community support.

Since then, Navigators Adaptive Sports has expanded significantly, welcoming athletes from multiple states, including New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and beyond. The program offers a wide range of adaptive sports, including track, field, archery, swimming, triathlons, table tennis, and powerlifting. The mission of Navigators Adaptive Sports is to inspire and empower individuals with disabilities to participate in sports, offering opportunities from recreational levels to elite Paralympic competition.

Over the years, Navigators athletes have achieved remarkable success, competing in prestigious events such as the Paralympic Games, World Para Athletics Championships, and IWAS Junior World Championships. The program has also garnered recognition and awards for its contributions to the adaptive sports community.

Navigators Adaptive Sports continues to thrive today, providing an inclusive and supportive environment where athletes can develop their skills, build confidence, and achieve their goals. Whether pursuing adaptive sports for recreation or aiming for elite competition, every athlete is empowered to reach their full potential.

Leaving a Legacy

As we celebrate this 25-year milestone, we honor both the legacy that has been established and the responsibility we carry into the future. Today, the Navigators continue to grow, driven by the same passion and purpose that initiated our journey. With a strong community supporting us, we remain dedicated to preserving this legacy while creating new opportunities for future athletes. Our goal is to ensure that the next 25 years are even more impactful than the last.

The Heart of the Navigators

A Family united by puprose

In the world of sports, there are athletes whose courage motivates us, and then there are the people behind those athletes — the ones who give not just their time, but their hearts. For the Navigators, that family is the Cuevas family: Jimmy, Isabel, Westly, and Isamy.

What Jimmy and Isabel Cuevas gave to the Navigators Adaptive Sports Club was more than just a coaching program; it was a shared calling that they passionately embraced together. From the very beginning, they understood that adaptive athletes don't just need instruction; they need belief. They need someone to stand at the edge of the track, the pool, or the field and say, "You got this!". Jimmy and Isabel became exactly that kind of presence, pouring their energy, knowledge, and love into every athlete who came through the Navigators program.

Because of the Cuevas family, Navigator athletes have gone on to compete at regional, national, and elite-level adaptive competitions — stages that once felt out of reach. But the Cuevas legacy is about far more than podiums. It is about athletes who walk taller, dream bigger, and live more fully because someone believed in them first.

Team Accomplishments

Paralympic & Senior International Competitions

  • 2020 Paralympic Games – Tokyo

    Gianfranco Iannotta (Finalist)

  • 2019 World Championships – Dubai

    Gianfranco Iannotta (Silver)

  • 2019 ParaPan American Games – Peru

    Gianfranco Iannotta (Gold, Bronze), Catarina Guimaraes (2 Bronze)

  • 2017 World Championships – London

    Gianfranco Iannotta (Bronze)

  • 2016 Paralympic Games – Rio

    Gianfranco Iannotta (Gold, Bronze)

  • 2015 ParaPan American Games – Canada

    Gianfranco Iannotta (Gold, Silver), Paul Nitz (Bronze)

  • 2013 World Championships – France

    Gianfranco Iannotta (Silver, Bronze)

  • 2012 Paralympic Games – London

    Raymond Martin (4 Gold), Hannah McFadden (Finalist), Cheryl Leitner (Finalist)

  • 2011 ParaPan American Games – Mexico

    Raymond Martin (2 Gold, 2 Silver), Gianfranco Iannotta (Silver, Bronze)

Junior International Competition Success

  • 2018 IWAS Jr. Worlds – Ireland

    16 medals total (2 Gold, 6 Silver, 8 Bronze)

  • 2017 Junior Worlds – Switzerland

    Miguel Jimenez-Vergara (2 Gold, 1 Silver)

  • 2016 IWAS Jr. Worlds – Prague

    Miguel Jimenez-Vergara (8 Gold, 1 Silver)

  • 2015 IWAS Jr. Worlds – Netherlands

    Miguel Jimenez-Vergara (8 Gold, 1 Silver)

  • 2014 IWAS Jr. Worlds – UK
    7 medals total (5 Gold, 2 Bronze)

  • 2013 IWAS Jr. Worlds – Puerto Rico
    17 medals total (6 Gold, 6 Silver, 5 Bronze)

  • 2010 IWAS Jr. Worlds – Czech Republic
    7 medals total (4 Silver, 3 Bronze)

  • 2009 IWAS Jr. Worlds – Switzerland
    10 medals total (7 Gold, 2 Silver, 1 Bronze)

  • 2008 IWAS Jr. Worlds – USA
    10 medals total (5 Gold, 2 Silver, 3 Bronze)

High School All-Americans
(US Paralympics Track & Field)

  • 2025 – 3 athletes

  • 2024 – 2 athletes

  • 2022 – 2 athletes

  • 2021 – 2 athletes

  • 2020 – 3 athletes

  • 2019 – 9 athletes

  • 2018 – 7 athletes

  • 2017 – 4 athletes

  • 2016 – 2 athletes

  • 2015 – 2 athletes

  • 2014 – 4 athletes

  • 2013 – 2 athletes

  • 2012 – 5 athletes

Records & Honors

  • 2017 Junior World Championships

    Norris Foster – Para American Record (100m, T34)

  • 2012 Season

    Raymond Martin – World Records (100m, 200m, 400m, 800m)

    Named Paralympic Sportsman of the Year & ESPY Nominee

  • 2009 IWAS Jr. Worlds

    Gianfranco Iannotta – Junior World Record (100m, T52)

Team Awards

  • US Paralympic Amazing Sports Club Award – 2013

  • Ted Kaplan Exemplary Recreation Group Award – 2014

Individual Awards (Jimmy)

  • Hudson County Sports Hall of Fame – 2018

  • Ted Kaplan Award – 2018

  • National Coach of the Year (US Paralympics Track & Field) – 2012

  • National Volunteer Coach of the Year – 2011 (Winner & Finalist)

Legendary Navigators

Gianfranco
Iannotta

Catarina
Guimaraes

Raymond
Martin

Miguel
Jimenez-Vergara

Jason
Robinson

ABOUT US

Everyone has the right to participate in and benefit from sports. Our athletes range in age from 7 to 76 and come from diverse ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds.

Registered 501(c)(3) and our EIN 22-0007488

SERVICES

Adaptive Sports Programs for Individuals with Disabilities

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Bayonne, New Jersey

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