KEN CARWELL: Hometown Hero
Kenneth Carwell has lived within a 1-mile area his whole life, but his sphere of influence extends far beyond geographic boundaries. Ken’s educational training is in social work, and his roles and responsibilities throughout his 40-year career focused on helping students with disabilities develop the skills necessary to be productive adults. He has served as a classroom teacher for a county health department in the screening and assessment of children with acute mental illness episodes and as a part of the management team for a not-for- profit agency providing special education services. Ken’s wife Kathy, is a Chicago native; they have four grown children.
At age 50, Ken was diagnosed and treated for prostate cancer by Dr. Catalona. At age 60, Ken was diagnosed with a different primary bone cancer that required the amputation of his right leg. Ken’s rehabilitation occurred at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, near Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Many evenings Dr. Catalona would stop by and see him on his way home from the hospital.
Physical activity has always been important to Ken. He played or coached basketball at the high school, college, and adult level. He has always loved fishing. After his surgery, he began playing adaptive sports such as basketball and softball. A sense of community has always been an important component of Ken’s life.
Through adaptive wheelchair basketball, Ken met Alma Cabacungan and others who are dedicated to helping individuals with disabilities lead an active lifestyle. This collaboration has resulted in the development of Chicago Adaptive Sports (CAS), an organization dedicated to providing support to those in the disability community, with a long-term goal of building a world-class adaptive sports facility for children and adults with physical disabilities.
Currently, Chicago Adaptive Sports supports wheelchair basketball, wheelchair softball, sled hockey, wheelchair tennis, and no limits fishing. Programs for children and adults are housed throughout the Chicagoland area.
Through Chicago Adaptive Sports, Ken met another avid fisherman, Dan Hanson. Dan has been a quadriplegic since age 19. The two men dreamed of sharing the experience of recreational fishing with interested individuals with disabilities. The concept of no limits fishing was launched.
They purchased a 22-foot pontoon boat, sitting in a field in Northern Wisconsin, and transported it to Chicago on a donated trailer. Advantage Trailer donated the customization work, which took several months.
In late June 2023, they launched No Limits Fishing out of DuSable Harbor in downtown Chicago. Fishing trips last roughly 4 hours and are available most Wednesday and Saturday mornings starting in June and going through the end of September. Enthusiastic anglers catch smallmouth bass, panfish, and northern pike. Most fishing is done near the shorelines and breakwalls of Lake Michigan, though the Chicago River is also a favorite spot. A group of volunteers support the endeavor. A recent fishing trip included individuals from age 8 to age 70. Ken says, “Our goal is to have everybody have the opportunity to get on a boat safely, catch fish, experience the outdoors, and enjoy what fishing has to offer. We have found that people who have taken a “No Limits” fishing trip want to do it again”.
Ken Carwell operates from a “can-do” perspective, for himself, for addressing obstacles, and for helping others in his community. Ken declares: “everything is based on problem solving.”
