Student’s Non-Profit Raises $100K for Sports Medicine Research & Advocacy
June 9, 2023
In North America, approximately 3.5 million children under the age of 14 do not participate in sports each year due to physical disabilities, genetic disorders or other chronic health conditions. To address this, US high school student Rakshith Srinivasan founded the non-profit, Unlimited Potential (UP), in 2020 to foster inclusive environments where all youth can participate in school sports and to facilitate tools to support children facing these types of challenges.
Srinivasan, who attends Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland, Washington and has a passion for STEM, created UP to generate awareness and fundraising for sports medicine research to help children with physical disabilities and chronic health conditions. The non-profit consists of a network of high school student volunteers -- 10 full-time and 600+ part time -- who are active in sport and passionate about sports science. They have the opportunity to work with doctors and medical researchers in organizations like Seattle Children’s, Fred Hutch Cancer Center and University of Washingtons Institute of Sports Medicine to gain insights into the research, understand its impact and actively contribute to fundraising efforts.
To date, the collective has cultivated 500+ grassroots donors in their local communities and school districts and recently announced that it had raised $100,000 to make a difference in the lives of young athletes. Funds are used to support sports science and orthopedics to "push the boundary of medical research to level the playing field" so that kids with challenges can play with ease.
UP’s solution to the issue of youth sports access and participation is ultimately increased medical research in sports medicine. Efforts are focused on collaborating with sports medicine researchers and labs, orthopedic doctors and universities to raise awareness of groundbreaking research and secure funds for more trailblazing work across hospitals and labs. This research has led to breakthroughs in prosthetics, bionics, artificial limbs, stem cell and CAR-T cell therapies and the support of more cutting-edge long-term cures and treatments. It also includes maximizing the affordability and availability of treatments.
The community donors support has contributed to eight research programs in prosthetics, bionics, muscular dystrophy, skeletal dysplasia, limb deformities, bone cancer, athlete mental health and human-centered design. Srinivasan has also written a book, which details advancements happening in the field of sports science and research. All sales from "Overcoming Obstacles" will go to the fundraising campaigns conducted by UP.