For 35 years at Chico State, Laura McLachlin advocated for people of all ages and abilities to push past perceived limitations and achieve more than they thought possible.

Shortly after McLachlin began teaching recreation therapy classes in 1987, she partnered with kinesiology professor Erik Snedeker to expand a one-day wheelchair basketball camp run by kinesiology students into a week-long sleep away camp for youths with physical disabilities.

Headquartered at Chico State’s Acker Gym each summer, Ability First Sports Summer Camp has evolved to become one of the premier camps of its kind, drawing young people from all over the country to participate in adaptive sports including basketball, tennis, and water skiing in an empowering environment. A number of campers have gone on to compete successfully in their sport at high levels, and many return to camp each year as coaches.

As co-director for 35 years, McLachlin oversaw staff, programming, fundraising, budget, and research demonstrating the camp’s impact on participants’ quality of life. Her efforts were recognized in 2006, when she was invited to appear as a distinguished guest at the Paralympic Games in Turin, Italy.

McLachlin’s commitment to empowering others showed up in her teaching; the hallway outside her office was often lined with devoted students eager to talk to her. Her primary course, “Recreation Therapy and Inclusion,” introduced students to inclusive recreation and invited them to spend an entire day in a wheelchair. In department graduation surveys, many students cited McLachlin’s teaching as a significant moment in their education.

“She exudes a positive energy, and put that in everything she did,” said recreation professor Kelli McCrea, McLachlin’s colleague and former student." Her focus was making sure whoever she was working with was able to realize their potential and their dreams. She was a cheerleader for everyone, regardless of their situation.”

McLachlin energetically served her department, leading accreditation reports, chairing the curriculum committee, and coordinating the recreation therapy option. She was a leader on campus too, serving as associate dean of the College of Communication and Education; associate chair of the Department of Recreation, Hospitality, and Parks Management; and the graduate coordinator.

She was also a vocal advocate in her field, and for decades served as chair of the California Task Force on Licensure for Recreation Therapy, helping shape legislative initiatives, creating training and outreach materials, leading workshops and championing the field.

Before her retirement in 2024, she twice received two different awards from the California Parks & Recreation Society: its Lifetime Achievement Award and its Outstanding Educator Award.