Exploring the barriers and potential of adapted physical education through a uniquely abled CrossFit program

Abstract

Despite inclusive education policies in Canada, students with exceptionalities often experience marginalized participation in Physical Education (PE), relegated to token involvement rather than meaningful engagement. This autoethnographic study examines my nine-year journey developing and implementing adapted physical education (APE) programming, culminating in the creation of the Uniquely Abled (UA) CrossFit program in Quispamsis, New Brunswick (NB). Drawing on 51 reflective journal entries spanning January 2022 to March 2024, critical friend analysis, and comprehensive artifact documentation, this research explores how community-based, strength-focused APE programming can challenge deficit model assumptions and reveal untapped student potential. Data analysis, informed by Constructivism, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), and Critical Disability Theory (CDT), revealed six interconnected themes: capability revelation versus fragility assumptions, creative differentiation enabling success, fear-to-confidence transformation, meaningful versus token participation, peer leadership development, and self-evaluation for self-awareness. Findings demonstrate that when PE is redesigned from the ground up with students’ capabilities rather than limitations as the starting point, profound transformations occur in physical competence, social-emotional development, and self-perception. This research contributes to the limited autoethnographic literature in APE and provides practical, evidence-based insights for educators, administrators, and policymakers working to create genuinely inclusive PE environments. The study challenges current inclusive education practices that prioritize physical integration over authentic engagement and calls for systemic change in how Canadian schools conceptualize, fund, and deliver APE programming for students with exceptionalities.