The Great Lakes Games is holding a week of virtual sessions after this year's competition was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic ©Great Lakes Games

The Great Lakes Games, a competition for athletes in the United States with disabilities, is holding a week of virtual sessions in place of its traditional competitions, which have been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The virtual sessions started on Tuesday June 9 and run through until Sunday June 14. 

Paralympic silver medal winning high jumper Sam Grewe was the keynote speaker for the first session.

The sessions have included a mix of talks, discussions and activities that participants would join in with at home.

Among the topics of the talks so far have been wheelchair sports concussion protocol, inclusion in high school and college athletics and college funding for students with a disability.

Amanda McGrory is hosting a talk entitled "Girls Guided with Sports" as part of a series of virtual sessions to replace the cancelled Great Lakes Games ©Getty Images
Amanda McGrory is hosting a talk entitled "Girls Guided with Sports" as part of a series of virtual sessions to replace the cancelled Great Lakes Games ©Getty Images

Activity-based sessions with opportunities for participation have included a virtual training workout that can be completed during quarantine and a military style fitness challenge.

Sessions scheduled over the weekend include virtual wheelchair football skills and drills and virtual track relays, as well as a talk entitled "Girls Guided by Sports" presented by three-time Paralympic winning wheelchair athlete Amanda McGrory.

The Great Lakes Games, hosted by the Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA), were due to take place from today through until June 14, and were set to feature competition in sports including archery, powerlifting, boccia, swimming and track and field.

All GLASA events are currently cancelled until further notice because of the coronavirus pandemic.

A full programme of all previous and upcoming virtual sessions can be found here