Overcoming Disabilties Team Room

[barrokraijin]

Hello, it's Jonathan.

Hope all is well with everyone. I should be doing between 35k and 50k tomorrow. It all depends if I have time for a second session on the rower.
Thank you so much for the advice, Ronnie. I am trying socks for now. They seem pretty good, if not a bit stinky
Anyone have any advice for softening the rower seat? I have been using folded towels, but after 30k, it still gets a bit tender.
Right now we have 4 teammates in the top 20, 12 individuals in the top 40, and ALL of our members are in the top 50% of all those competing! I am amazed, excellent job everyone. Keep it up and hang in there.

Jonathan

[Kona2]

Hello, it's Jonathan.

Hope all is well with everyone. I should be doing between 35k and 50k tomorrow. It all depends if I have time for a second session on the rower.
Thank you so much for the advice, Ronnie. I am trying socks for now. They seem pretty good, if not a bit stinky
Anyone have any advice for softening the rower seat? I have been using folded towels, but after 30k, it still gets a bit tender.
Right now we have 4 teammates in the top 20, 12 individuals in the top 40, and ALL of our members are in the top 50% of all those competing! I am amazed, excellent job everyone. Keep it up and hang in there.

Jonathan

I looked quickly through the forum pages and couldn't find the reference (maybe it was Danno?) about the upholstery foam. Seems like that was the most comfortable and cheapest answer to the rower seat "ouch". Suggestion was to go to a furniture supply store and buy a block that was about the size of the rower seat. I'll keep looking for the actual discussion thread. I remember that Brett really hurt during the last week of the Fall Challenge, and Ross had some questions also.

Found the thread:

Now for all who have been complaining of sore butts lately here's what I use. Nothing magic a 9"x14"x4" piece of memory foam. Can be had at any upholstery shop for a few dollars. Haven't had a sore butt in over a year. Only problem is when you first get it and get on you feel a little wobblely but that goes away in a few seconds. 14" is a little wider than the seat but then my bum is a little wider than the seat.
danno

You guys and gals continue to amaze! Great rowing!

[brotherjim]

Thanks Jan (Kona) for the good cushion advice.
Way to row team, amazing amount of meters Please row safely and don't overdue it, okay? The team just ahead of us has added 7 members the past few days and we are still hanging in there. It is FINE to finish wherever we do, I think we can finish first in meters per person, but i am not conceding 10th place. I had asked Harold, Terri, and Diana to row for the Luna-tics to help them reach 2nd, so blame me if we don't make 10th.
On a personal note, I am on a walker now as of yesterday. Not enough strength in my right arm and bad balance for the crutches to be effective. Sounds like nothing I know to you guys that are in wheelchairs, but it is a big thing for me mentally. Sorry to even mention it but I am bummed.
Please row safely, you are the best, I mean it.

[rosita]

Welcome Scott to the Overcoming Disabilties team You have boosted us into 10th place at least temporarily. So nice to have you row with us here. You have a beautiful Guide dog, like the name. I know you will enjoy the team . Join the Lunatics year round affiliation if you wish. Most of us row with this fun group all year
Jim, don't worry about using a walker. You are an old man anyway But seriously, if it helps you use it.
Rosi

[ronnie1]

Scotty, welcome from me and Zander also , and the entire team. We are very happy you chose our team.
Jonathan, glad my advice helped a little.
Jim, a walker is no big thing. You are wrongly thinking.
Ronnie

[brotherjim]

Thank you, Rosi, Ronnie, and Jan. I am ok with using my walker which is really a rollator. Should never have complained .

[brotherjim]

This is from the National Sports Center for the Disabled-

Zach
Zac Parsons is a typical 8 year old boy but at the age of 2 he was diagnosed with Morquio's Syndrome and has since endured 8 surgeries. Morquio's Syndrome is a condition caused by one missing enzyme, but without this one enzyme the cells in his body cannot clean themselves out. This causes bony abnormalities throughout his body, shortened height, narrow airway, etc. He loves music, playing all sports in his wheelchair, and being with his friends. The NSCD has given him the opportunity to be with other kids with physical disabilities too and learn to play sports on his own level. He gets to feel part of a team which is not something he gets to experience with other peers and has helped boost his self esteem and confidence beyond words. Thank you for supporting the NSCD so that Zac and other athletes like him can continue to participate in their favorite sports!

[brotherjim]

DISABILITY ISSUE OR
HUMAN BEING ISSUE?


Most of the mistakes in thinking are inadequacies of perception rather than mistakes of logic.

Edward de Bono

How many times have we thought, heard, or said things like:
He's very manipulative--we know children with disabilities learn to be manipulative at an early age.
She'll never be able to drive--she has Down syndrome (or cerebral palsy or whatever).
What do you expect--he has autism (or fetal alcohol syndrome or seizures or whatever).
Now think about other things you've thought, heard, or said--better yet, make a list!



How many times do we make assumptions about children or adults with disabilities that are based primarily on the person's diagnosis? How many decisions--life-altering decisions for the person with the disability--have been made based on these assumptions? How do we know the issue is a consequence of the person's disability?

[brotherjim]

Holloway, USAV Women’s Sitting Athlete of the Year

Becky Murdy December 15, 2011

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Dec. 15, 2011) – Katie Holloway (Lake Stevens, Wash.) has been named the USA Volleyball Sitting Women’s Athlete of the Year for 2011.

“I am so very honored to be given this,” Holloway said. “I feel the progress our team has made this year has been such a huge success.”

Holloway’s year has been filled with remarkable achievements both on and off the volleyball court. In addition to captaining a 2012 London Paralympic-bound team, Holloway was named Most Valuable Player and “best spiker” at two international tournaments, posted the most points for the U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team and inspired the country as a celebrity guest on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

Holloway was born without a fibula in her right leg and when she was 20 months old she had her right foot and ankle amputated. Since then, she has been a standout in women’s NCAA Division I basketball at Cal State Northridge (2004-08), a sitting volleyball star representing the United States and an inspiration to everyone she meets.

In September, the U.S. Women’s Sitting Team traveled to Yevpatoria, Ukraine for the ECVD (European Committee Volleyball for Disabled) Continental Cup. With the London Paralympic bid already in its pocket, the team had room to relax but it chose not to. The women took the gold medal with a 7-0 finish, led by Holloway’s 100 kills and 123 points. Holloway was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MPV) and Best Spiker.

Immediately following the Continental Cup, the team traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil for the Parapan American Zonal Championship. Again, the team proved unbeatable with a 5-0 record, capturing the gold medal on Oct. 1. The team posted four individual honors; two earned by Holloway, who was again named the tournament’s MVP and Best Spiker.

“Katie was named most valuable player at both the Continental Cup and Zonal Championship,” U.S. Women’s Sitting Volleyball Head Coach Bill Hamiter said. “She was also the leading scorer for the U.S. in each tournament. Her improvements to her all-around play have made her one of the top players in the world.”

Holloway has been competing with the Women’s Sitting Team since 2006 and she was part of the silver-medal winning team at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games. With the team, she has accumulated five gold medals, two silver medals and a bronze medal in international competition.

On Oct. 9, Holloway appeared on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with NBA star Dwight Howard as the inspirational celebrities to a 10-year-old hero, Anaiah, who lost her left leg and a kidney while saving her younger sister from an oncoming pickup truck.

In a story written prior to the airing of the show, Holloway said, “my disability was the best thing that ever happened to me and I want everyone going through something like this to know that it will be a journey, but one that they are not on alone.”

[brotherjim]

" You are all doing a fantastic job. Your average meters per rower are awesome. We THE ANCIENTS are watching your wonderful progress. Keep on rowing." Shirley Sell Terrebonne

Thank you Shirley and the mighty Ancients team. Very much appreciated by everyone on our team.

[The Blacksmith]

Hi All,
I just "dropped by" from Team Timbuktoo to say that you guys (and girls) are some REALLY tough competition. Awesome stats! Gives me something to aim for.
Good luck,
Mark Emig

[brotherjim]

Hi All,
I just "dropped by" from Team Timbuktoo to say that you guys (and girls) are some REALLY tough competition. Awesome stats! Gives me something to aim for.
Good luck,
Mark Emig

Thank you Mark, we appreciate that. You guys are doing pretty awesome too.

[brotherjim]

Not that 40 is old or a disability, but I hope Janet qualifies for London and medals.

40-yr-old Evans qualifies for Olympic swim trials
By JIM VERTUNO | Associated Press – tAUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Janet Evans' Olympic comeback at age 40 just got serious.

In her first elite-level competition since coming out of retirement, the former United States gold medalist and world record holder qualified Friday for this summer's Olympic trials in the 400 meter freestyle at the Austin Grand Prix.

Evans won her preliminary heat with a time of 4 minutes, 17.27 seconds, easily beating the Olympic trials qualifying standard of 4:19.39. Evans knocked about 5 seconds off of her best time coming into the meet.

Evans, a married mother of two, was all smiles after shaking off some early nerves and dominating her race.

"I was really nervous. I'm usually that spectator in the stands these days and now I'm down here with all the young kids, all the kids I've been watching swim over the years," Evans said. "I kept remembering I've been here, I've done this before. It all kind of comes back."

The London Games start in July. Since announcing her comeback last year, Evans had competed only in Masters' level meets and dominated those races. She couldn't swim in a Grand Prix-level event until she had been in the United States Anti-Doping Agency testing program for a year.

Evans said she needed to test herself against younger swimmers, some of whom are only half her age. Obviously, she held up well.

"My only disappointment was that once again I took my race out and I looked around and there was no one there. We came here for some competition," Evans said.

Her comeback "debut" was impressive, even if her time still leaves her with a long way to go to qualifying for this summer's London Games. Evans considers the 400 a "bonus" race. The 800 meters, where she still holds the American record of 8:16.22, is where she hopes to really make her mark.

Evans will race in the "B'' final in the 400 on Friday night. She is scheduled to race the 800 on Sunday and Evans said she's confident she can qualify for the Olympic trials in that race as well.

"This was just preparation for the 800," said Mark Schubert, Evans' coach. "She hasn't swum in a race. In a Masters' race, she's winning by like 100 (meters). It's like a workout. This is the first time she's been in a competition. The hardest part is probably behind her now."

Evans was 17 when she set the world record in the 400, one of three gold medals she won at the 1988 Seoul Games, and later set world marks in 800 and 1,500 freestyle. Evans retired after a disappointing effort in the 1996 Atlanta Games where she failed to qualify for the 400 freestyle and finished sixth in the 800.

Getting the qualifying mark out of the way was important because Evans has a limited competition schedule between now and June's Olympic trials. Schubert said Evans probably won't race again until April because she wants to stay close to home, her husband and children.

Evans gets up at 4 a.m. every morning to train so she can be home by the time her children are getting up.

"It's a hard schedule," Schubert said. "When she decided to do this, she said 'We have nothing to prove other than let's see if I can and let's have fun with it.' That's been her whole attitude."

[barrokraijin]

Excellent job everyone!

Hang in there!

I have two layers of socks on my rowing bar and a memory foam pillow. Thanks for the advice, guys. This keeps me feeling comfy most of the way. Hope you all are having as much fun as I am

Jonathan Lewis

[brotherjim]

U.S. team announced for IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup

U.S. Paralympics January 11, 2012
.
Rising star Dan Cnossen looks to improve on his top-10 finish from the first stop on the IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup tour.


U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), is pleased to announce the 17 athletes who have qualified to compete for Team USA at the upcoming International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Nordic Skiing World Cup, January 26-February 2, in Cable, Wis. and Minneapolis, Minn.

Athletes to watch on the women’s side include three-time Paralympian Kelly Underkofler (St. Paul, Minn.) who is competing in the standing division and up-and-comer Christina Kouros (Cape Elizabeth, Maine) who won three medals at the 2012 national championships in the sitting category.

On the men’s side, 2010 Paralympic Winter Games bronze medalist Andy Soule (Pearland, Texas) and 2010 U.S. Paralympian Sean Halsted (Ephrata, Wash.) will look to keep rising star Dan Cnossen (Jamestown, Mich.) at bay. Cnossen won two gold medals at the 2012 national championships and earned a top-10 finish at his first-ever World Cup competition back in December. Halsted (Air Force) and Soule (Army) are both military veterans while Cnossen remains an active duty service member in the Navy.

“For the top U.S. athletes who are experienced in World Cup competition, the focus is on attaining peak performance on home soil while the Europeans are over on this side of the pond,” said John Farra, USOC Director of High Performance, Paralympic Nordic Skiing. “For the newer, developing athletes on the roster, this is an excellent opportunity to experience World Cup-level competition with minimal travel and on home snow. It is important for athletes to see the speed, power and technical prowess of the world’s best athletes up close and personal.”

Athletes qualified for this team based on results from the first IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup held in Norway in December and the U.S. Adaptive Cross Country National Championships held in Rumford, Maine in January.

This is the first Paralympic Nordic skiing World Cup hosted in the U.S. since 2005. U.S. Paralympics is hosting the event in partnership with Central Cross Country Ski Association (Madison, Wis.) and the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation (Minneapolis, Minn.).

2012 U.S. IPC Nordic Skiing World Cup Team
Women


Mikayla Briere (Lincoln, N.H.)
Alicia Brelsford Dana (Putney, Vt.)
Sarah Edwards (Winter Park, Colo.)
Christina Kouros (Cape Elizabeth, Maine)
Kelly Underkofler (St. Paul, Minn.)

Men
Robert Ackerman (Salt Lake City, Utah)
Ryan Barnett (Duluth, Ga.)
*Dan Cnossen (Jamestown, Mich.)
*Alfredo Delossantos (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.)
*Eric Frazier (Pittsburgh, Pa.)
*Sean Halsted (Ephrata, Wash.)
*John Kremer (San Diego, Calif.)
Ken LaCome (Taos, N.M.)
Augusto Perez (Syracuse, N.Y.)
Dan Santos (Durham, N.H.)
*Andy Soule (Pearland, Texas)
*Jeremy Wagner (Nanakuli, Hawaii)

*Military/Veteran athlete