Liza Robbins is not one to sit on the sidelines.
WATCH: Liza Robbins finds her game despite spina bifida diagnosis
The varsity basketball player for the Bennett Blazers was born with spina bifida — a birth defect that often means paralysis of the lower limbs and required surgery right after birth to close an opening in her spine. But Liza found her way to the court anyway, and she has not looked back.
"I love playing with my team and I get to meet a lot of new people through basketball and make life long friendships," Liza said.
Liza started playing at only 5 years old, inspired by watching the kids around her.
"I would watch my friends growing up and they were like playing sports and they were getting to play with other kids so I was like, 'oh, I can do that to'," Liza said.
Her father, Darryl Robbins, serves as her assistant coach and biggest fan. He remembers the early days after her diagnosis.
"I don't even know where to start except she's done so many things and she just works so hard. When Liza was born we were just trying to figure out what spina bifida meant and what it meant for our family," Darryl said.
Wheelchair basketball is fast-moving and highly technical, demanding strategy, quick passes, and physical play.
"I can be very intense, and I like to be aggressive," Liza said.
Beyond athleticism, Liza said the sport has helped shape who she is.
Darryl has watched those qualities grow alongside her game.
"You have to have some leadership skills too. And to see those develop was a big thing as well," Darryl said.
For Liza, every game is a reminder of what she is capable of.
"Once the game is over you just feel like you accomplished something really cool. No matter what the outcome of the game was, you just feel like you're capable of anything," Liza said.
The Bennett Blazers program at Kennedy Krieger is built around that very idea. Darryl said program director Gwyna describes the mission this way:
"The point of Blazers is to tell them that they can, before the world tells them that they can't. Just to know that there's a program like this, is amazing," Darryl said.
As Liza sets her sights on college ball, the competition will be fierce — there are only 5 women's college-level wheelchair basketball teams. But based on everything she has already accomplished, she will be right in there.
"It's not just about sports here. It's about developing young children into awesome individuals," Darryl said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
