When Lindsay Muench was just nine months old, her family received a prognosis no parent expects to hear. Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Type II, doctors told her parents to cherish the time they had with their daughter because they did not expect her to live to see her second birthday. Lindsay had other plans.
Today, she is a college graduate, Human Resources professional, outdoorswoman, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Hunter Safety Instructor, seven-time Power Soccer National
Champion — and a member of the U.S. Power Soccer National Team preparing to represent her country at the 2026 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
For Lindsay, the path between those two points has been built on a simple philosophy: a limitation does not have to determine the outcome.
“I’ve never wanted my disability to define what I could or couldn’t do,” said Lindsay Muench. “If there’s something I want to accomplish, I’m going to figure out a way to do it.”
Finding Power Soccer
Lindsay discovered power soccer in Madison, playing for the Madison Marauders. Power soccer, known internationally as powerchair football, is a competitive team sport for
athletes who use power wheelchairs. Played on a basketball-sized court, teams use specially equipped power chairs with guards mounted to the front to pass, control, and strike an oversized soccer ball. The game combines speed, strategy, precision and chair control as players work together to move the ball down the court and score.
Lindsay initially played using a P200 power wheelchair. As she became more serious about the sport, she set her sights on something that could take her game further — a Strike Force chair designed specifically for power soccer.
There was one problem: the chair cost about $9,000, a tremendous amount of money, especially for a college student. But Lindsay did not see the price as a reason to give up.
Instead, she saw it as another obstacle to figure out. She held bake sales, sought donations, and received support through a GoFundMe campaign. Friends, family, doctors, and members of the community rallied behind her effort.
“I will always be incredibly thankful for everyone in our community who supported me,” said Muench. “Whether you donated, came to a fundraiser, shared my story, or simply
encouraged me along the way, you helped make that chair possible. At the time, none of us knew where it would take me. More than a decade later, I’m preparing to represent the United States at a World Cup, and I’ll never forget the people who helped me get started.”
At the time, purchasing the chair was simply a goal accomplished. It would eventually become the chair that helped take her much farther.
Thousands of Miles and Countless Practices
Lindsay earned her first National Championship with Madison, but as she developed as a player, she began wanting more from herself. She wanted to move beyond her comfort zone, face stronger competition, and keep learning the game at a higher level. Most importantly, she wanted to become a better player.
That pursuit eventually took her to Minnesota. Beginning in 2016, Lindsay, her parents, and her sister Alyssa regularly made the trip from Wisconsin to Minnesota for practices — sometimes spending roughly 12 hours on the road for only two hours on the court. It was a commitment that required countless weekends, long drives, and sacrifices from the entire family.
“I wouldn’t be where I am today without my family,” said Muench. “They have spent years driving me to practices and tournaments, giving up weekends and making sacrifices so I could
chase something I loved. They never treated my goals like they were too big or too difficult. If I wanted to find a way, they were right there helping me find it. Getting to represent the United States at a World Cup is my dream, but they are such a big part of the reason I get to live it.”
She competed with the Minnesota Magic before eventually joining the Minnesota Shockwave, where she continued developing against some of the country’s strongest competition.
Finding places to practice closer to home presented another challenge. Campbellsport High School, Campbellsport Elementary School and the Mayville TAG Center became important parts of her development. When gym space wasn’t available, Lindsay practiced at home, where her father built walls inside an outdoor shed so she could work on ball control and other drills.
She practiced enough — and hit the ball hard enough — that she eventually began damaging the walls. “If I knew there was somewhere I could practice, I wanted to be there,” said Muench. “You don’t get better without putting the time in.”
That time produced results. Lindsay has won seven National Championships during her power soccer career — one with Madison and six consecutive National Championships with the Minnesota Shockwave.
But the championships tell only part of the story. Behind them are thousands of miles traveled, countless hours of practice, early mornings, long weekends, and years of choosing to keep improving.
More Than an Athlete: Soccer is only one part of Lindsay’s life.
A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Lindsay works full-time at Delta Defense in West Bend as a Leave of Absence and Accommodation Specialist. She is also passionate about hunting, fishing, and the outdoors. Lindsay serves as a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Hunter Safety Instructor, helping educate others about responsible hunting and firearm safety. She also serves as a chair on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Disability Advisory Council, where she helps bring the perspectives and experiences of people with disabilities into conversations surrounding outdoor recreation and accessibility.
Whether she is working with employees, teaching hunter safety, advocating for accessibility,hunting or competing on a soccer court, Lindsay’s approach is much the same: find a way
forward.
The Road to Team USA
Power soccer itself has undergone a significant transformation during Lindsay’s career. The U.S. Power Soccer National Team had competed independently since 2007. In 2022, it
officially became part of U.S. Soccer’s Extended National Teams program. The move placed power soccer athletes within the same national federation as the country’s other national soccer teams, providing greater access to resources, infrastructure and support as they prepared for international competition. Years after Lindsay was searching for available gym space simply to get extra practice, she found herself training alongside some of the best power soccer athletes in the country.
In September 2026, she participated in the team’s final World Cup preparation camp at the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center in Fayetteville, Georgia — U.S.
Soccer’s new home and a more than $200 million investment built to serve all 27 of its national teams.
Then came the opportunity she had spent years working toward. Lindsay was selected to represent the United States at the 2026 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup in Buenos Aires.
“It’s hard to put into words what it means to wear the U.S. Soccer crest,” said Muench. “You think about all the practices, the traveling and all the people who helped you get here. To have the opportunity to represent your country makes all of it worth it.”
From Wisconsin to the World Stage
The 2026 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup is the fifth edition of the sport’s premier international championship. Competition will take place October 17–23 at Parque Olímpico de la
Juventud en Buenos Aires, Argentina. Ten nations will compete for the world championship: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, England, France, Italy, Japan, Uruguay and the United States. Each country will play the other nine teams during the round-robin portion of the tournament before the competition moves into its final placement and playoff matches.
For Team USA, the tournament begins against Australia on October 17. The nine-match round-robin schedule also includes meetings with France on October 19, host nation Argentina on
October 20 and England on October 21, among the other competing nations.
For Lindsay, however, the significance of Argentina extends well beyond one tournament. Her journey to the World Cup began long before she was selected for Team USA.
It can be traced to a $9,000 soccer chair a college student was determined to buy herself. To bake sales and donations, to weekend drives to Minnesota, to practices in Campbellsport and at the Mayville TAG Center. To soccer balls repeatedly slammed against homemade practice walls, to seven National Championships — including six consecutive titles with the Minnesota Shockwave and to the coaches, teammates, family members, friends, facilities, and community members who helped create opportunities along the way.
Her family remembers being told nearly three decades ago that Lindsay might not reach her second birthday. This October, they will watch her represent the United States on the biggest stage in her sport.
“We were once told to cherish the time we had with Lindsay because we might not have very much of it,” said the Muench family. “Now, nearly three decades later, we get to watch her wear the U.S. Soccer crest and represent her country on the world stage. To say we are proud doesn’t begin to describe it. Watching her turn so many things that once seemed impossible into reality has been one of the greatest privileges of our lives.”
Lindsay’s diagnosis has always been part of her story. It has never been the author of it. When she takes the court in Buenos Aires wearing the U.S. Soccer crest, Lindsay will represent more than the culmination of a soccer career. She will represent what can happen when opportunity, community and determination come together — and when someone refuses to let other people decide what is possible for her.
As those closest to Lindsay learned a long time ago: Never tell Lindsay something is impossible. She might just prove you wrong.
How to Watch Team USA at the World Cup
Friends, family, and supporters back home can follow Lindsay and the U.S. Power Soccer National Team throughout the 2026 FIPFA Powerchair Football World Cup.
World Cup matches will be livestreamed through FIPFA’s official YouTube channel, youtube.com/@OfficialFIPFA, allowing viewers in the United States to watch the competition
live from Buenos Aires.
For schedules, results, livestreams, and tournament updates:
FIPFA: Official World Cup information, schedules, results, and tournament updates
FIPFA YouTube: Watch World Cup matches live at youtube.com/@OfficialFIPFA
U.S. Soccer: Team USA roster, schedule, news, and tournament updates
Tournament Dates: October 17–23, 2026
Location: Parque Olímpico de la Juventud — Buenos Aires, Argentina
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